Spotify sees big Wall Street debut amid tech sector turmoil

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Streaming service handily beats Wall Street reference price
Swedish streaming giant Spotify debuted on Wall Street with a bang, offering a bright spot amid dark times for technology stocks.
The company’s shares surged more than 25 per cent above the Wall Street Stock Exchange’s reference price of $132 (£94) to $165.90 (£118) a share. That translated into a $29.5bn (£21bn) valuation for a company now trading under the ticker symbol SPOT.
Rather than opting for an initial public offering, Spotify engaged in what’s known as a direct offering, which is not underwritten by banks. Founder Daniel Ek noted in a blog post ahead of the offering that existing shareholders have already been able to buy and sell stocks.
Read more Spotify has done the right thing by cutting out Wall Street banks Spotify expects revenue to grow as it gears up for public listing Spotify releases feature that could change how you listen to music “Normally, companies ring bells”, Mr Ek said. “Normally, companies ..

Gender pay gap deadline: Companies must report figures by tomorrow or face 'unlimited fines'

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Many firms have already revealed startling differences between what they pay men and women, while around a fifth have yet to report with one day to go
The true scale of the gender pay gap at the UK’s largest companies will be revealed this week as the deadline for reporting arrives at midnight on Wednesday.
Any firms with over 250 employees who do not comply by midnight tomorrow face stiff penalties. The Equality and Human Rights Commission says it will initially contact employers informally at first if they have not published by the deadline, but businesses could ultimately face “unlimited fines and convictions”.
Many firms have already revealed startling differences between what they pay men and women; far higher than the UK average of 18.4 per cent, which is equivalent to women earning 81.6p for every £1 paid to a man.
Read more Ryanair reveals 67% gender pay gap Ryanair revealed a 67 per cent gender pay gap on Tuesday, a figure it said was due to the fact that a large majori..

Cardi B to Co-Host ‘The Tonight Show’ With Jimmy Fallon on Monday

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Supported by Television Cardi B to Co-Host ‘The Tonight Show’ With Jimmy Fallon on Monday Photo Cardi B, who will be co-hosting and performing a song on “The Tonight Show” on Monday. Credit Evan Agostini/Invision, via Associated Press When they zig, he zags.
Cardi B will be co-host “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon next Monday night, the first time the show has ever had two people sharing hosting duties, NBC said on Tuesday.
Next Monday’s show will, as usual, stand out compared to his competitors: Mr. Fallon has kept his show joke-and-celebrity heavy while CBS’s Stephen Colbert and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel have gotten increasingly political. In that time, Mr. Fallon’s ratings have declined while Mr. Colbert and Mr. Kimmel have seen their total viewerships go up.
Enter Cardi B.
The Bronx-born rapper appeared on Mr. Fallon’s show in December, and her segment on the couch became a viral hit. To date, the five-minute interview has collected more than 16 million views. She also appeared ..

Bill Cosby Jury to Hear Account That His Accuser Was Scheming

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Supported by Television Bill Cosby Jury to Hear Account That His Accuser Was Scheming Photo Bill Cosby, right, with his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, as they make their way to the courtroom for jury selection for Mr. Cosby’s trial on sexual assault charges. Credit Michael Bryant/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images NORRISTOWN, Pa. — In a major victory for Bill Cosby, the judge in his sexual assault trial ruled Tuesday to admit testimony from a Temple University academic adviser who says that Mr. Cosby’s central accuser, Andrea Constand, told her she could make money by falsely claiming that she had been molested by a prominent person.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas had barred the testimony of the administrator, Marguerite Jackson, 56, an adviser in Temple’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, during Mr. Cosby’s first trial, which ended with a hung jury last summer.
That ruling came after Mr. Constand, a former staff member for the Temple women’s bas..