New entrant The Breakfast Club poaches top spot in the Growth Company Index 2016 AlixPartners is pleased to release the fifth edition of the Growth Company Index – our annual study which celebrates the fastest growing companies in the UK eating and drinking-out sector. The Breakfast Club - the all-day dining chain – is this year’s winner after achieving compound Profit growth of 147% over its last three sets of annual accounts. This year’s Index shows that trends such as all-day...

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At a time when European solidarity is facing challenges both internal (e.g., Brexit) and external (e.g. the refugee crisis), the future of the European Union has never appeared so uncertain. While there is no shortage of European leaders who are committed to a strong EU and want to see it succeed, too often this message has failed to connect with Euroskeptic citizens. This October marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, a visionary European...

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William Rhodes, a former senior vice chairman of Citigroup, is president and chief executive officer of William R. Rhodes Global Advisors and author of “Banker to the World: Leadership Lessons from the Front Lines of Global Finance”. He is a guest columnist for Reuters Breakingviews. The opinions expressed are his own.  A new installment of the seemingly endless Greek tragedy in the European Union may erupt soon. Greece’s government was due to be far advanced on a package of 15 distinct...

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Each year, I see October as a month of change – fall foliage appears, and families settle into school year routines. October also brings World Sight Day, a day of awareness which serves as a continual reminder to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. But this year, October also signals a change for the Vision Impact Institute (VII) as we recently launched a new U.S. initiative, Kids See: Success. Studies repeatedly emphasize the importance of diagnosing refractive errors...

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INSIGHT: Automotive In the next 15 years, electric and hybrid cars will capture more than half of the market. Connected and autonomous driving will open up new earnings potential. Digitization will enable double-digit cost reductions. Is the automotive industry facing its biggest challenge of the past hundred years? The global car market continues to grow, with new sales expected to rise at an annual average of 2.8% from 2015 to 2023. Taking advantage of...

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Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced plans to revive the Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) to the upcoming Current Population Survey, in an effort to capture a more accurate picture of the modern workforce. In a step closer to achieving this end, the DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on September 30, 2016, published a notice and comment request regarding the proposed reintroduction—and expansion—of the CWS. The next Current Population Survey will take place in May...

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Public trust in banks has been severely diminished in recent years coming out of the Great Recession. This poses threats to the financial system and to economic growth. In the United States today, we see this raising not only the risk of increased regulation, but also the threat of mounting political support to break up the biggest banks. A constant series of prominent misdeeds by banks ranging from the Libor scandal to mortgage-backed securities troubles, nepotism and solvency inevitably diminish...

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Major FX markets remained largely range-bound in September, with EUR/USD trading inside August’s range while initial mild GBP strength faded and initial JPY weakness also proved temporary. The main focuses of the month were the Fed and Bank of Japan meetings on the 20th/21st. The BoJ proved less dovish than expected, failing to cut rates or expand QE, but instead announcing long term yield targeting.  This proved JPY supportive. The Fed decision was largely as expected, leaving rates unchanged but...

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Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Whitlock Packaging Corp. (Whitlock) has been acquired by Refresco Group N.V (Refresco). The transaction closed on September 7, 2016. Founded in 1987 and based in Fort Gibson, Okla., Whitlock is one of the largest independent contract manufacturers of refreshment beverages in North America. The company specializes in aluminum, aseptic, plastic, and bag-in-box packaging. Whitlock serves as a strategic partner to many of North America's most iconic beverage brands. Additionally, the company's aseptic...

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On 30 September 2016, the Luxembourg VAT authorities (Administration de l’Enregistrement et des Domaines) published a new Circular (N° 781) concerning the VAT status of directors of companies and the VAT treatment of their activities. The Circular clarifies that independent directors have the status of taxable persons (VAT entrepreneurs) and that their activities are subject to VAT at the standard rate of 17%. In the case of foreign directors of Luxembourg-based companies, VAT on directors’ fees has to be self-assessed...

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