Criminals made €8.6m of fake “Bin Laden” banknotes at the end of last year January 27, 2017 The European Central Bank (ECB) said it withdrew €8.6m worth of so-called "Bin Laden" banknotes in the final six months of last year. The notes, worth €500, are in the process of being phased out because of their association with money-laundering and terror – but they nevertheless made up just under five per cent of all [...]
Behind the deal: These are the bankers and advisers working on the £3.7bn Tesco-Booker tie-up January 27, 2017 Tesco’s £3.7bn deal for wholesaler Booker is an early boost for the UK’s 2017 M&A market, following a rather subdued 2016. Below are details of the bankers and advisers behind the deal. Tesco advisers It’s increasingly difficult to find a big UK deal without a boutique investment bank at its centre. And this £3.7bn merger proved [...]
Profits down, but UBS beats expectations and is optimistic for 2017 January 27, 2017 UBS has beaten expectations with its fourth-quarter results and said improved investor confidence should benefit its wealth management business. The figures The Swiss bank this morning reported a 47 per cent fall in full-year net profits to 3.3bnSFr (£2.6bn), down from 6.2bnSFr in 2015. In its fourth quarter, net profit came in at 738mSFr, while diluted [...]
EU Robin Hood financial transactions tax is “within reach” if politicians can agree says diplomat January 26, 2017 A financial transactions tax – also known as a Robin Hood tax – on trades is “within reach” according to the EU’s commissioner on tax, which could represent a barrier to the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc. The original proposal was for a 0.1 per cent tax on trades in shares and bonds [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland no closer to privatisation: US verdict key to providing clarity, say sources January 26, 2017 Uncertainty over the level of fines to be levied on Royal Bank of Scotland is blocking the pathway towards privatisation, despite news the state-back lender has upped its provisions for penalties by £3.1bn. RBS today revealed it had set aside more money to cover fines relating to the issuing and underwriting of US residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). [...]
Spiralling IT costs to hit TSB’s profit this year despite stellar 2016 January 26, 2017 High street bank TSB is expecting a challenging 2017 despite its annual pre-tax profits growing by 169 per cent to £182m last year. The bank, which was spun out of Lloyds in 2013, expects “significant reduction” in profits this year due to the cost of using its former parent's IT platform. "At the moment, we rent our [...]
Barclays is reportedly preparing to move its EU headquarters to Dublin January 26, 2017 Barclays is planning to move its EU headquarters to Dublin, according to sources. The bank is preparing for the relocation ahead of Brexit, Reuters reported. "We have made clear repeatedly that we will plan for a range of Brexit contingencies, including building greater capacity into our existing operations in Dublin," a spokesman for Barclays said. [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland has set aside another £3.1bn for US settlements January 26, 2017 Royal Bank of Scotland today confirmed that it has set aside a further £3.1bn to pay fines relating to the issuing and underwriting of US residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). However, shares in the group were up almost two per cent in early trading. The bank said this takes the total sum it has provided for [...]
RBS to be hit by multi-billion-pound charge for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities January 25, 2017 RBS is set to be hit by a new multi-billion-pound charge for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities. A formal statement confirming the charge could come as soon as today with RBS directors expected to discuss the move in a board meeting this week. The charge could be between $3bn (£2.4bn) and $4bn, sources told Sky News last night. The [...]
Bank of England governor Mark Carney warns fintech’s democratic revolution poses risk to financial system January 25, 2017 The fintech revolution poses significant risks to the stability of the financial services sector, according to Bank of England governor Mark Carney. Fintech’s assault on the business models of traditional banks could increase liquidity risks for the broader financial system, Carney warned in a speech delivered at a G20 conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. “The opening [...]