Investec Comment: How a retail bond can give a firm the edge May 31, 2015 THE PROFESSIONAL rugby union club Wasps launched its debut retail bond at the London Stock Exchange last week, raising £35m. I was very proud to have been involved in the transaction, and it’s fair to say that the success of the issue is the latest sign of growing investor appetite for retail bonds in the [...]
Gosden’s pair primed to give trainer second Investec Derby May 26, 2015 PATRICK CALLAGHAN REPORTS FROM YESTERDAY’S BREAKFAST WITH THE STARS EVENT AT EPSOM THE successful rekindling of the partnership between John Gosden and Frankie Dettori has been one of the stories of the season. And the first-named holds all the aces ahead of the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday 6 June as he looks to [...]
What does it take to get a business to IPO? – Investec Comment May 25, 2015 What is it that drives a company founder to float their business on the stock market and do an initial public offering (IPO)? The obvious point is that they want to raise capital to fund their growth and/or provide an exit for current shareholders. By entering the public markets, a company can tap into a [...]
Roux Sr and Jr bring their Michelin-starred food to the Investec Derby at Chez Roux at Blue Riband May 19, 2015 Last year, the World’s Greatest Flat Race joined forces with two of the world’s greatest chefs – Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr – for Chez Roux on the Prince’s Lawn, a partnership that brought Michelin-starred gastronomy to the Investec Derby. The father and son duo are set for a return, this time taking over [...]
Investec Comment: Two major implications of the Tory victory May 17, 2015 TO SAY that the General Election result was a surprise barely does it justice. The markets reacted positively to the news that the Conservatives had gained an overall majority, with sterling surging and the FTSE 250 reaching all-time highs. There were three reasons for this. First, stocks in sectors that would have faced tougher regulation [...]
Elm Park to cement his Investec Derby claims in classy Dante Stakes May 13, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE SECOND DAY OF YORK’S DANTE MEETING IT HAS been an extremely odd build-up to this year’s Investec Derby with contender after contender falling by the wayside. Hopefully, this afternoon’s Dante Stakes (3.15pm) will shed some light on what is a fairly confused picture at present. John F Kennedy was the ante-post [...]
Investec Comment: Why the future is bright for SME finance May 10, 2015 NO ONE needs to be told that it’s been a difficult few years for small businesses seeking finance, and economic recovery has done little to change this picture. The Bank of England’s latest Trends in Lending report found that the annual rate of growth in the stock of lending to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) [...]
Investec Comment: Asset finance: Everything you need to know April 26, 2015 TOO many small businesses see their expansion plans quashed by a lack of finance. Their bank doesn’t have the confidence to lend them the money they need, so business owners end up trying to fund their companies’ growth on overdrafts and credit cards, storing up trouble for when the next downturn comes or not proceeding [...]
Investec Comment: Pensions: The role of structured products April 19, 2015 THE government’s pension reforms have arrived – and attention has inevitably shifted from the technicalities of the new rules to what those at retirement will do with their new-found freedoms. The reforms have given people unprecedented control over their pensions: you no longer have to buy an annuity, you can keep your money invested and [...]
Investec Comment: How cheap oil is boosting small businesses April 12, 2015 THE extraordinary decline in the price of oil has been one of the most important economic stories of the past year. Brent Crude fell from over $110 per barrel in June 2014 to below $50 in January 2015, slumping to multi-year lows. Prices have increased marginally since then, but with factors like the interim deal [...]