Business Opportunities

Coronavirus has accelerated the shift to online

By Linda J. Dodson 6 mins ago

Stripe, which is based in San Francisco and employs 2,000 people, is among a handful of firms that have thrived during lockdown. Since early March, the company has processed more than $1bn (£800m) of payments exclusively for new clients. Estimates from Forbes suggest the company’s revenue could be as high as $3.4bn from processing $200bn worth of transactions. Those figures point to the extraordinary scale at which businesses have been forced into digitising. 

Stripe has revelled in facilitating those transformations. By offering what is essentially a one-stop shop for taking payments online, it has found itself perfectly placed to rack

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Why you shouldn’t buy dividend-paying stocks that have taken Government support

By Linda J. Dodson 1 hour ago

Income investors should not be suckered into buying companies that have kept dividend payment, experts have warned.

So far this year companies have cut, scrapped or postponed more than £30bn in dividend payouts as they hoard cash to stay afloat.

Some £13bn has been paid up but Professor Alex Edmans, of the London Business School, said in some of these stocks were as troubled and should not have paid a dividend. This, he said, could be leading income-seeking investors into a trap.

Construction group CRH and airline easyJet furloughed workers but maintained dividends. Instead these firms should have invested in

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Coronavirus latest: Tokyo schools, malls and gyms reopen

By Linda J. Dodson 2 hours ago

The Nikkei Asian Review is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Global cases have reached 6,131,531, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The worldwide death toll has hit 371,154.

To see how the disease has spread, view our virus tracker charts:


(Source photo by AP) 

Here are the latest developments (Tokyo time):

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Monday, June 1

11:50 a.m. Public schools resume in Tokyo after a three-month closure, while the capital allows businesses such as shopping malls, gyms and movie theaters to reopen. Schools are still taking precautions, such as limiting

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Want to buy a French holiday home? British property hunters face a tight deadline

By Linda J. Dodson 2 hours ago

The prices of small flats in big cities are set to take a hit. Mark Harvey, of Knight Frank, said: “It is fair to say there will be a price adjustment.” Deals have so far been getting agreed at 5 to 25pc below asking price, he said.

The capital’s prime market, however, is still showing signs of resilience. “Paris is a scarcity market,” said Ms Lundgreen. Of 900 clients surveyed, 70pc did not want to put their properties up for sale until they had found somewhere they wanted to buy, she said. “We have a problem with supply.” The trend

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