Windows 10 launch: New users love Cortana and Edge – but hate the Office suite August 10, 2015 Windows 10 has been on the market for a week and a half – and the verdict is already in for the latest incarnation of Microsoft’s operating system, as social media analytics firm Brandwatch has analysed what users are tweeting about it. Microsoft has reason for optimism, as haters are outnumbered by fans. Every day, [...]
Precision Castparts share price leaps as Warren Buffett makes Berkshire Hathaway’s biggest ever acquisition with $37.2bn swoop August 10, 2015 Shares in aerospace manufacturer Precision Castparts Corp (PCC) jumped 19.5 per cent after Warren Buffett confirmed his company, Berkshire Hathaway, will buy it for $37.2bn (£24bn) – the investor's biggest deal ever. In a statement today, Buffett said he had "admired PCC's operation for a long time". "It is the supplier of choice for the world’s [...]
New York City’s “responsible banking” law ruled unconstitutional after lawsuit from Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan August 10, 2015 Is New York City’s notoriously tough line on banks after the crisis about to loosen up? The city’s Responsible Banking Act has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge, reports news agency Reuters. The law demanded that banks provide documentation for an advisory board to review how well they met the needs of low- and [...]
London airports see record footfall as long-haul flights double intake August 10, 2015 London airports have reported record footfall for July, as an increase in long-haul flight bookings mean that Stansted and Gatwick have both seen record passenger numbers. The results put Gatwick ten years ahead of forecasts from the Airports Commission, with 4.3m passengers passing through the airport in July. Gatwick chief Stewart Windgate said the results [...]
UK gin exports could seriously rival the £4bn a year whisky industry August 10, 2015 Forget Don Draper brooding over a glass of whisky, it's now all about the spirit housewife Betty Draper was more likely drowning her sorrows in, perhaps with a gimlet or a G&T. Exports of gin have risen by more than a third within the last five years, hitting almost £400m in 2014, but now the [...]
E-commerce giant Alibaba invests £2.97bn in Suning as global mergers and acquisitions hit new high August 10, 2015 Alibaba’s announcement it would be investing £2.97bn in a 20 per cent stake in retail giant Suning marks the Chinese e-commerce giant’s biggest acquisition ever. The global deal bonanza continues upwards. With global M&A recently hitting a post-downturn high, Alibaba’s record deal came just hours after Warren Buffett confirmed a record $37bn deal as his [...]
Russian economy contracts 4.6 per cent in second quarter August 10, 2015 Another bad day for the Russian economy, after figures published today showed it contracted 4.6 per cent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, missing even analysts' pessimistic expectations of a 4.5 per cent contraction. Although the contraction was larger than feared, the fact GDP fell hardly came as a surprise: with the [...]
Twitter’s share price jumps as co-founder Jack Dorsey buys $875,000-worth of Twitter shares August 10, 2015 Twitter's share price has leaped this afternoon as it emerged that co-founder Jack Dorsey acquired nearly 32,000 shares in the social media giant last week. On Friday Dorsey, who is interim chief executive and chairman, bought 31,627 shares in the company he set up, according to SEC filings. Director Peter Currie also bought several [...]
Shire share price rises as investors become optimistic about Baxalta hostile takeover bid August 10, 2015 Shares in pharma giant Shire recovered this morning after its $30bn (£19bn) hostile bid to take over US biotech company Baxalta. Read more: Shire share price drops following £19bn hostile takeover bid to Baxalta The offer by the UK company, which amounts to $45.23 per Baxalta share, followed an unsuccessful attempt to get Baxalta [...]
Shire share price drops following £19bn hostile takeover bid to Baxalta August 10, 2015 London-listed pharma giant Shire has made a hostile approach for US rival Baxalta. In a statement, the UK company offered $45.23 per Baxalta share, amounting to a deal worth an estimated $30bn (£19bn). Baxalta, a biotech business focused on developing treatments for rare diseases, was spun-out of Baxter International last month. Shire [...]