Investing

Marks and Spencer and Aldi have called a truce to their caterpillar cake war, after the high street stalwart settled its lawsuit with the German discount supermarket. M&S had last year launched legal action against Aldi over the design and packaging of its “Cuthbert the Caterpillar” cake, saying Aldi’s version copied its own “Colin the

The financial crisis of 2008 and the great recession that followed is still fresh in the memories of many investors. People saw their portfolios lose 30% or more of their values, and older workers saw their 401(k) plans and IRAs drop to levels that threatened their plans for retirement. Instead of acting rationally during severe

This article is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here. Recommended FT articles and tasks picked by our panel of teacher advisers to help improve study, exam and interview success, with suggestions on questions for class activities and discussion. Metaphors: examples of comparisons Tenses: past, present, future Trends: Describing economic trends Prepare

KPMG’s UK partners were handed an average of £688,000 last year as a booming deals market helped trigger their biggest payday since 2014. Partners were paid 20 per cent more than in 2020 at the scandal-hit accounting firm, which has faced a leadership overhaul as well as fines and criticism for its audit and insolvency

Andrew W. Mellon (1855-1937) was an American businessman and statesman. He served as secretary of the Treasury under three Republican presidents—Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover— and focused on reducing debt, lowering business taxes, and balancing the federal budget. Mellon’s policies were controversial, and he resigned after the stock market crash of 1929. Key Takeaways Andrew W.

JohnnyGreig | E+ | Getty Images Embracing diversity is good for business. More diverse companies, both at board level and throughout the workforce, can outperform on financial metrics such as return on equity and higher earnings per share. They can also generate higher returns compared to their indices, according to GS Sustain 2020. Moreover, embracing

Newly-installed renewable power in the EU mainly replaced expensive gas power rather than more polluting coal last year, according to analysis by an energy think-tank, and still fell short of what is required to limit global warming. Coal power in Europe was down just 3 per cent in 2021 compared with 2019 pre-pandemic levels, far

The New York Times company has agreed to buy Wordle, the daily word game that has become an overnight sensation — the news company’s latest move to boost its products and achieve its goal of 10m digital subscribers by 2025. Josh Wardle, a Brooklyn software engineer who created Wordle as a gift to his girlfriend, sold the

Key Takeaways Analysts estimate adjusted EPS of $0.76 vs. $0.36 in Q4 FY 2020. Revenue expected to rise at a healthy pace YOY in the Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom segment. Revenue companywide is expected to increase, but at a slower pace than in recent quarters. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), like other semiconductor companies, has

Boris Johnson said he was “sorry”, but by the end of a raw day in the House of Commons it was the UK prime minister’s own supporters who were in despair as the “partygate” scandal again enveloped his premiership. Johnson’s Commons performance, a blustering combination of contrition and defiance, was intended to rally Tory MPs

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Monday that investors should not bet against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and his approach to fighting inflation. “I just think that everyone has decided that inflation is going to last years, and without multiple [interest rate] increases, Jay is going to be very wrong,” Cramer said on “Squawk Box.” “I

One of Vodafone’s biggest shareholders has hailed an activist campaign aimed at improving the telecoms company’s performance as “very sensible”, as another investor said the move was “long overdue”. The comments give support to Cevian Capital, Europe’s largest activist investor with roughly $15bn in assets under management, which has built an undisclosed stake in Vodafone

Five of the primary reasons why dividends matter for investors include the fact they substantially increase stock investing profits, provide an extra metric for fundamental analysis, reduce overall portfolio risk, offer tax advantages, and help to preserve the purchasing power of capital. Key Takeaways Companies that issue dividends can provide inherent fidelity to the financial

A senior Hong Kong official has resigned after attending a karaoke birthday bash in violation of the city’s tough “zero-Covid’ guidelines, embarrassing the government of Carrie Lam as it was seeking to brandish its credentials with Beijing. Caspar Tsui, Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary, attended the party alongside 14 other top officials including the police

The US has drawn up sanctions targeting Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and its ties to the west as Washington broadens the list of financial penalties it is ready to impose if Russia invades Ukraine. Senior administration officials told the Financial Times that a list of individuals and family members that would be hit with sanctions

If you are a stock investor who likes companies with good fundamentals, then a strong balance sheet is important to consider when seeking investment opportunities. By using three broad types of measurements—working capital, asset performance, and capital structure—you may evaluate the strength of a company’s balance sheet, and thus its investment quality. A firm’s judicious

Portugal’s ruling Socialists won the country’s parliamentary election on Sunday with an absolute majority after voters penalised the far-left parties that triggered the snap poll. The centre-left Socialist party (PS) led by António Costa, prime minister, was polling at almost 42 per cent of the vote with only two per cent of voting districts yet to be

Spotify said it would add “content advisory” warnings to podcasts that discussed Covid-19, as the streaming service responded to a backlash against its popular podcaster Joe Rogan. The company, however, has not removed the December 31 episode of Rogan’s podcast that has triggered the ire of hundreds of doctors and scientists, as well as musicians

In today’s global economy, consumers are used to seeing products from every corner of the world in their local grocery stores and retail shops. These overseas products—or imports—provide more choices to consumers. And because they are usually manufactured more cheaply than any domestically-produced equivalent, imports help consumers manage their strained household budgets. Key Takeaways A

In this article SHOP-CA FB UBER HUBS NOW People wear protective masks in front of Uber Technologies Inc. headquarters in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The latest bout of market volatility has been nothing short of stomach-churning for short-term investors. Indeed, a sell-off

Europe’s largest activist fund Cevian Capital is pushing UK mobile group Vodafone to restructure its portfolio, enhance its strategy in key markets and refresh its board to draw a line under years of poor share price performance. Cevian has built an undisclosed stake in the FTSE 100 group and has been engaging with its board

Market volatility has curtailed corporate America’s ability to raise cash through public share sales, one sign of how the prospect of tighter policy from the Federal Reserve is already rippling out from the central bank’s Washington headquarters. Gauges of US financial conditions are showing that it is becoming slightly harder and more expensive for companies to

There are thousands of companies that trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq. These companies range from the leviathan Apple to the smaller, more inconsequential companies, with market capitalizations of less than the price of a car. Every last one of those companies had to start somewhere. They each sprang to

Statistics come in different kinds and each can be used to tell its own story. Rising inflation has made such variations even more obvious. Movements in the consumer price index — the UK’s main measure — aim to capture changes in the value of money. The CPI does less to highlight the specific challenges facing

Will an ugly jobs report deter the Fed from aggressive rate rises? Hiring in the US is expected to have slowed in January, with some economists cautioning that the economy shed jobs as the fallout from the Omicron coronavirus wave became more widespread. The US economy is projected to have added 175,000 jobs at the

Unlike regular employee deferrals, catch-up contributions are not included in the 415 limit. While there is an annual limit imposed on catch-up contributions, it is designated by a different section of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code governing contributions to qualified retirement savings plans. Key Takeaways Many employers offer 401(k) retirement plans to their employees in

Boris Johnson is considering offering Nato a deployment of another 900 troops to Estonia — doubling the size of the British force in the Baltic state — as tension continues to rise in the region. Downing Street announced that the UK prime minister was considering the “biggest possible offer” in order to protect Nato allies

The Japanese company behind Hello Kitty and her entourage of a dandy frog and evil penguin wants the world to spend a cumulative 300bn hours with its characters by late 2031. If Sanrio is successful in restoring the fortunes of Japan’s beloved character — an icon of the country’s kawaii, or cute, popular culture —

An options contract gives an investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy (or sell) shares at a specific price at any time, as long as the contract is in effect. By contrast, a futures contract requires a buyer to purchase shares—and a seller to sell them—on a specific future date, unless the holder’s

(Click here to subscribe to the new Delivering Alpha newsletter.) On this day last year, investors watched in amazement as GameStop shares surged to a record high of $347.51. The stock had skyrocketed amid a trading frenzy brought on by retail investors swapping stock tips — and related memes — on social media.  Professional investors also got