Finance executives feel UK business outlook is bleak, and confidence is low across Europe in general November 16, 2015 More than a quarter (29 per cent) of UK chief financial officers (CFOs) feel less optimistic about the financial prospects of their business than they did three months ago, according to a Deloitte report released today. Of the UK CFOs questioned for Deloitte’s latest European CFO Survey, which surveyed a total of 1,298 CFOs across [...]
UK skills gap gives small firms a big headache November 16, 2015 The UK's small businesses are concerned that skills shortages could dent an otherwise bright outlook for their growth. Bosses at Britain’s small firms expect sales to rise 7.4 per cent a year over the next two years, survey data published today by Lloyds Bank reveals. Four in ten firms also said they expected to lift [...]
Investors starting to warm to emerging markets again November 16, 2015 Attitudes towards investing in emerging markets have improved markedly over the last month, according to survey figures published today by one of the UK’s biggest lenders. Lloyds Bank’s investor sentiment index for emerging market shares climbed 8.47 points to a score of 5.32. The score was derived from a survey of 4,500 people. However, sentiment [...]
China’s dip hits global dividends November 16, 2015 Payouts to shareholders from Chinese companies are set to decline for the first time on record this year as firms feel the bite of the country’s slowdown in growth, a City investor has warned today. Chinese dividends were down 2.1 per cent year-on-year in the three months to September and this trend is set to [...]
Fewer visitors flock to the high street in October but vacancy rates fall to four-year low November 16, 2015 Fewer shoppers visited the high street in October and flocked to retail parks instead, according to the latest industry figures. High street footfall fell by one per cent year-on-year compared with a 0.6 per cent decline in September the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard revealed today. In contrast, footfall at retail parks increased 2.6 [...]
Black Friday 2015: A third of British and American retailers say the sales bonanza is unprofitable November 16, 2015 Britain's biggest online shopping fixture Black Friday is dividing the retail industry, with a third of major retailers saying it is unprofitable while the same number believe it provides a major fillip, research by LCP Consulting shows. The business consultancy firm’s annual Omnichannel report released today found that retailers with an established presence both in bricks [...]
Sports Direct in talks to open Lillywhites concessions in House of Fraser November 15, 2015 Sports Direct is reported to be in talks with House of Fraser about introducing concessions of its famous Piccadilly store Lillywhites inside the department store chain. Dave Forsey, the chief executive of the sportswear group, has held early stage talks with House of Fraser boss Nigel Oddy, according to The Sunday Telegraph, which reported that proposals [...]
Discounters Aldi and Lidl pick up the space race left by Big Four supermarkets November 15, 2015 The big four supermarkets may have called an end to the space race. But for Aldi and Lidl the race has just begun, after new figures show the discounters have submitted plans for nearly five times as many stores. The latest data from construction data firm ABI Barbour shows that Aldi has submitted 93 planning [...]
US investment giants Starwood Capital and Apollo vie for control of budget hotelier Travelodge November 15, 2015 A battle is heating up for control of Travelodge after two US investment giants emerged as the frontrunners to buy the budget hotel chain, which is expected to fetch as much as £1.5bn. Property investor Starwood Capital and Apollo Global Management, the private equity firm, are said to be battling it out for control of the company, [...]
City Moves for 16 November 2015 | Who’s switching jobs November 15, 2015 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL The commercial real estate services firm has appointed business rates specialist Jeff Norris as director. He has over 30 years’ experience, and has held roles at Sinclair Goldsmith, Edwin Hill (now Altus), and Farebrother, where he was a partner heading up the rating department, before running his own consultancy. OPEN OCEAN The early [...]
