Exclusive: Tech chiefs look to win over pension funds on UK ‘sovereign wealth fund’ plans March 6, 2023 Tech and fintech industry chiefs have met with some of the City’s top pension funds as part of plans to create a UK “sovereign wealth fund” that could help unleash a wave of funding into the UK’s tech startups, City A.M. can reveal.
Exclusive: Home REIT and property vendor urged tenants to ‘corroborate’ sustainability claims as part of ESG ‘box ticking’ March 6, 2023 Home REIT and a property dealmaker urged the firm’s tenants to “corroborate” dubious sustainability claims as part of an environmental, social and governance (ESG) “box ticking exercise”, City A.M. can reveal. Gareth Jones, a partner at the beleaguered social housing firm’s former investment adviser Alvarium, told property vendor Christopher Downing in August to ensure that [...]
“How not to do it”: Tech chiefs slam Sunak and Johnson over Arm listing failure March 5, 2023 The government has come under fire for a failed attempt to woo British chipmaking giant Arm into listing in London after the Cambridge-based firm confirmed it would float in New York on Friday. The move from Arm has dealt a major blow to the UK’s efforts to promote itself as a premier listing hub and [...]
M&G set to be quizzed on takeover as Square Mile rumours swirl March 5, 2023 Bosses at asset management and insurance giant M&G are set to be quizzed by investors over a potential takeover swoop from Australian financial services Macquarie this week, as the firm updates the City with its full year results on Thursday. The update will mark chief executive Andrea Rossi’s first update at the helm of the [...]
‘Fading recession fears’ boost optimism as services sector bounced back to growth in February March 3, 2023 The UK’s service sector bounced back to growth in February as business optimism improved and activity expanded at the fastest pace since June. The S&P Global/CIPS UK services PMI survey showed a reading of 53.5 in February, up from 48.7 in January and slightly ahead of market expectations. Any score above 50 is considered growth [...]
UK trade data market not working ‘as it should’ as investors pay the cost of lack of competition, says FCA March 2, 2023 A new study from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found competition in the wholesale data market is “not working as well as it should”, leading to extra costs for investors and savers. Trading data includes information on the prices and volumes of financial products traded and supplied by venues such as stock exchanges. The [...]
Losing momentum on Solvency II reforms would be a missed opportunity to transform Britain March 2, 2023 This is a once in a generation opportunity. That phrase might have become a bit of a cliché, especially in recent years, but the UK’s exit from the EU could ensure that Solvency II reforms really are one of those events. The proposed reforms represent a very significant opportunity to ensure more private sector capital [...]
Schroders: London asset manager’s profits tumble 14 per cent after 2022 proves ‘stress test for strategy’ March 2, 2023 Asset manager Schroders said its profits had tumbled sharply last year as market volatility dragged down its assets and caused investors to pull cash from its funds.
Regulators holding back fintech firms in cost of living crunch, industry body says March 2, 2023 Regulatory red tape is stopping fintech firms from boosting financial inclusion and helping consumers through a cost of living crunch, the industry body and EY said today. In a new report, Innovate Finance and big four firm EY said today that City regulators need to quickly expand the UK’s open banking regime and loosen rules [...]
Investors pocket record $1.56 trillion as oil and gas firms fuel dividend bonanza March 1, 2023 Shareholders pocketed record dividend payouts last year in a bonanza driven by oil and gas firms cashing in on soaring energy prices, new research has revealed.