Wednesday newspaper round-up: QIA, Britain, Skyscanner

The Qatar Investment Authority has been carrying out an internal review, which will be completed by the end of the year, to determine where the billions of dollars it has under its management should be best invested. It is thought that the outcome of the review will result in significantly more funds being deployed in the US and Asia, which could potentially lessen the flow of funds to Europe, which has been the main investment arena for the QIA. - The Times

Business leaders have thrown their weight behind the argument that being a member of the European Union makes little difference to Britain. Recruitment company founder Robert Walters said exports are unlikely to be affected if Britain were to pull the plug on EU membership following the referendum due in 2017. Meanwhile, the senior vice-president of Tate & Lyle Sugars has criticised Europe’s heavy-handed approach to regulation. - The Daily Telegraph

Skyscanner, the online flight comparison service, is en route to land a £1bn valuation, as one of its early investors seeks to sell part of its stake. Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has appointed Goldman Sachs to offload 10% of the company at a price that would confirm Skyscanner as a technology "unicorn" - a start-up that achieves a $1bn valuation before they reach the stock market. - The Daily Telegraph

The first interest rate rise should come next month but must be half the size that most people are expecting, a member of The Times’ shadow monetary policy committee has argued. Charles Goodhart, emeritus professor of banking and finance at the London School of Economics and a former member of the Bank of England’s MPC, called for rates to rise by 12.5 basis points in November, pushing them up from their record low of 0.5% to 0.625%. Most economists are expecting the first increase to be double that. - The Times

The Royal Mint is offering “serious investors” with around £25,000 to spare the chance to buy a fine gold bar weighing one kilogram. The new gold bars have been produced to mark the first anniversary of a bullion trading website launched by the Mint last year, which aims to make it easier for people to invest in gold. - The Guardian

David Cameron is to boost aspiring homeowners at the expense of rented housing, in what he calls a “national crusade to get homes built”. The prime minister will put home ownership at the centre of his speech at the Conservative party conference on Wednesday — his first since the party won the general election in May. - Financial Times