Sterling falls to a 31-year low while gold jumps amid ongoing Brexit concerns July 6, 2016 The British pound fell to fresh 31-year lows against the dollar and multi-year lows against a host of other currencies this morning. After closing two per cent lower at $1.3022 yesterday, it hurtled to break through the $1.30 barrier again this morning for the first time since 1985. It hit a new low of $1.2798, though [...]
France tells Swiss UBS to hand over tax details, but bank pushes for legal clarity July 5, 2016 UBS has been ordered to hand over tax information to the French authorities, the bank revealed today. A statement from UBS revealed that it had received a disclosure order from the Swiss Federal Tax Administration, on behalf of the tax authorities in France, concerning accounts of both current and former French domiciled clients, based on data from 2006 [...]
Why the Brexit vote could be the undoing of Italy’s banks, and why that’s really bad news for the rest of Europe July 5, 2016 Last month's Brexit vote has battered the banking sector in general but it could be a particularly dangerous trigger for the industry in Italy. Italian banks were already struggling with an eye-watering €360bn (£307bn) in non-performing loans between them, while shares in Unicredit, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Banco Popolare and Intesa Sanpaolo all slumped by around [...]
It’s a grim day to be a challenger bank, with shares taking a nosedive following bad Brexit vote news July 5, 2016 A slew of trading suspensions for property funds along with some stern words from the Bank of England has made this a bad day to be a challenger bank. Shares in many UK challengers, including Shawbrook, OneSavings and Virgin Money, all slid after Aviva became the second property fund to suspend trading in just as many days. M&G [...]
Post-Brexit passporting questions hang over fintech too July 5, 2016 The question of passporting hangs over fintech startups as well as banking in a post-Brexit world. Half of fintech firms in the UK stand to lose access to the European market handed to them by passporting. A snap survey of around 100 members of industry body Innovate Finance following the referendum result found half are authorised [...]
Libor three – Who’s who? July 4, 2016 After a trial lasting just short of three months, three ex-Barclays bankers have been found guilty of Libor-rigging related offences. The jury was, however, unable to arrive at a decision for the other two before being discharged. But who were the men in the docks? Jonathan Mathew (Source: Getty) Jonathan Mathew, 35 Verdict: Guilty, 11-1 majority [...]
Big firms suffer as investment banking fees plunge 23 per cent in first half of 2016 July 4, 2016 Investment banking (IB) fees plunged by more than a quarter in the UK and Ireland in the first half of 2016, new figures show. Global fees for the six-month period were $37.1bn (£27.9bn), down 23 per cent on the same period in 2015, according to Thomson Reuters. This was the lowest first-half figure since 2012. And the [...]
Everything you ever wanted to know about Libor (but were too afraid to ask) July 4, 2016 It may be hard to believe but, four years since the Libor-rigging scandal first rocked the City, the fallout is still being felt. Today, the jury on the most recent Libor trial was discharged after reaching guilty verdicts for three of the men involved but being unable to arrive at a verdict for the other [...]
Four years after the Libor scandal broke – how many bankers have been found guilty, and how many have been acquitted? July 4, 2016 Four years ago, Bob Diamond sensationally quit as chief executive of Barclays as a scandal over Libor-rigging sent shockwaves through London’s banks. Shortly after, on 6 July 2012, the Serious Fraud Office (known as the SFO) kicked off an investigation into the manipulation of Libor – the “London Interbank Offered Rate”, an interest rate benchmark [...]
Angela Merkel will not drop opposition to breaking EU bank rescue rules as trouble in Italian banking sector continues July 4, 2016 German chancellor Angela Merkel will not back down on opposing the breaking of EU bank rescue rules as the Italian banking crisis continues. When asked about plans to rescue the banking sector, the German finance ministry spokesperson, Martin Jäger, said Germany stands by its position that was declared last week at the EU Council meeting, [...]