Dechra – just what the vet ordered. FT Opening Quote, with commentary by Matthew Vincent, is your early Square Mile briefing. You can sign up for the full newsletter here. If your cat’s got a cough or your dog’s a bit down in the mouth...
Read moreThe ethical investment boom
When a Warren Buffett owned company bought a stake in BYD, then a little-known Chinese car company, some sceptics were withering in their condemnation of the 2008 deal. Car and Driver, an industry magazine, commented that it was “hard to take BYD...
Read morePrivate businesses face new rules on corporate governance
Now we have Theresa May’s vision on how to stamp out “irresponsible behaviour in big business” and force bosses to think harder about their workers. Last week the government put out its policy paper on promoting the voice of employees in the...
Read moreBig investors step up rebellion at company meetings
The world’s biggest investors rebelled more at company meetings globally this year compared with last year, as asset managers came under mounting pressure to tackle businesses over high pay, board diversity and bad management. Eighteen out of 20...
Read moreGood causes squeezed as lottery ticket sales fall
Despite the infinitesimal odds of landing the jackpot, millions of Britons cannot resist buying a National Lottery ticket in the hope of becoming millionaires overnight. While some critics describe the lottery as a de facto stealth tax...
Read moreAcademics face big rise in their pension payments
Academics and universities face big rises in contributions to their pension scheme after it warned retirement costs had risen by a third. The Universities Superannuation Scheme — which provides pensions for academics, and has more than 390,000...
Read more‘The Provvie’ brought its problems on itself
Sir, The recent problems at Provident Financial are of its own making and could have been avoided had it consulted its army of self-employed agents. Many of these agents have other forms of employment. Many are housewives who can only work a few...
Read moreIncrease in contributions is the same as a pay rise
Sir, Paul Lewis, in “Employers are adding to the pension blight” (On The Money, August 19), correctly highlights the totally inadequate pension provision being made by and on behalf of most employees. His conclusion that this is the fault of...
Read moreProvident Financial’s ex-chief forgoes millions in pay and shares
The former chief executive of the ailing UK subprime lender Provident Financial will suffer a multimillion-pound hit from forgoing his salary, pension and bonuses during his 12-month notice period. Peter Crook stepped down from the helm of...
Read moreA lesson for Trump: the best tax reforms are the stealthiest
America has a “once in a generation opportunity” to implement comprehensive tax reform, and achieve “a simple tax code that is easy to understand”, Donald Trump told an audience in Springfield on Wednesday. I was tempted to tweet in Trumpian...
Read moreBest of Lex: your weekly round-up
Dear Reader, Financial journalists rarely quote country songs. These have disappointingly little to say about risk pricing, though Kenny Rogers’s “The Gambler” makes an occasional appearance. Lex, however, made a foray into the genre this week...
Read moreHave equity income funds had their day?
In the 1950s, the point of investing was simple. It was, says John Littlewood in his book, The Stock Market: 50 Years of Capitalism at Work, “to provide assets to match as closely as possible the liabilities stretching years into the future over...
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