Thomas Cook collapse set to net hedge funds millions September 23, 2019 The demise of travel firm Thomas Cook has caused chaos, leaving 150,000 Brits stranded abroad and triggering the UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation effort, but hedge funds are set to make millions from the collapse. Thomas Cook was the most shorted company on the London Stock Exchange ahead of its collapse into liquidation in the early [...]
Fintechs are moving at such break-neck speeds that they’re struggling to mitigate the risks September 23, 2019 The “challenger” moniker has been given to a new generation of financial brands because they are disrupting the status quo set by the financial institutions of the past. But it may be that the speed at which these tech-focused firms are expanding will leave them open to significant risk in the near future. In fact, [...]
UK Finance chair Bob Wigley named in employment claim alleging fraud at company he chaired September 23, 2019 UK Finance chair Bob Wigley has been named in an employment tribunal claim alleging fraud at a company he chaired. The claim, seen by City A.M., relates to Northern Ireland tech firm Secure Broadcast. Its former chief operating officer Richard Johnston is claiming constructive dismissal from the company after uncovering an alleged fraud. According to [...]
Rose through the ranks: RBS picks lifer for top role September 22, 2019 It was was the worst kept secret in the Square Mile: on Friday morning Alison Rose was finally appointed as the new chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, but the only surprise was that the announcement did not come any sooner. RBS has insisted that it underwent a thorough job process which involved [...]
Big banks shift just 1,000 jobs since Brexit vote, EY reports September 20, 2019 Just 1,000 jobs within the big banks have left the City since Brexit, a new report from EY has found. According to the accountancy giant, among the large investment banks monitored in its tracker under 1,000 jobs have already relocated to the continent. Read more: Worldwide climate strikes set to start The figure represents 15 [...]
Blackrock says Federal Reserve rate cut should have been ‘bolder’ September 19, 2019 The world’s biggest investment firm Blackrock has criticised the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates by one notch, saying it “missed an opportunity for a bolder stance”. Read more: US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by a quarter point Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed income at Blackrock, which manages $6.8 trillion [...]
Private providers aren’t the problem with student finance, they’re part of the solution September 19, 2019 As our students start or return to their courses this month, so higher education funding has once again come under the close scrutiny of journalists, concerned parents, and young adults envisaging a debt-filled future. Student finance has become an annual debate at this time of year, ever since the introduction of tuition fees in 1998. [...]
Fed injects over $100bn after key borrowing rate hits all-time high September 18, 2019 Pressure on a crucial US money market has eased after the Federal Reserve injected $75bn (£60bn) following a spike in short-term borrowing rates to record highs. Read more: Donald Trump demands ‘boneheads’ at Fed slash rates to zero Borrowing costs in the repurchasing – or repo – market soared to as high as 10 per [...]
MPs urge clarity from Sajid Javid over appointment timetable for Bank of England governor September 18, 2019 An influential group of MPs has demanded a timetable from the chancellor for the appointment of the next Bank of England governor. Following reports that the successor to Mark Carney is not likely to be decided by the current autumn deadline, the Treasury committee has today written to Sajid Javid asking him to confirm whether [...]
Why the Bank of England will buck the trend and hold interest rates September 18, 2019 The US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank (ECB) both slashed interest rates at their last meetings, citing trade wars and stubborn inflation respectively. With the UK economy in contraction – it shrank 0.2 per cent in the second quarter – and inflation falling in August, there is a case for the Bank of England [...]