M&A activity targeting UK slumps amid no-deal Brexit fears September 12, 2019 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity targeting the UK has fallen almost 40 per cent on the same period last year, with investors slowing down decision making amid ongoing political turmoil. Corporate M&A also tumbled to £15.1bn in the second quarter of 2019, its lowest value since the EU referendum according to data from Mergermarket. Read [...]
Brooks Macdonald ‘reinforcing foundations’ as it reports funds and profit growth September 12, 2019 Wealth management firm Brooks Macdonald has reported full-year growth exceeding expectations, in a rare glimmer of light for a sector that has been struggling to stem the flow of client outflows. The company reported a profit before tax of £21m for the year ending 30 June, an 11.8 per cent increase on the previous year. [...]
Woodford loses £43.5m in fire sale from frozen fund September 11, 2019 Beleaguered stock picker Neil Woodford has lost at least £43.5m selling off stocks from his frozen Equity Income Fund, despite having assured investors that the suspension would limit pressure to offload assets at reduced prices. Read more: Woodford crisis wipes £36m off Kent County Council’s stake in flagship fund Woodford lost money on eight out [...]
Man Group president Jonathan Sorrell to step down September 11, 2019 Man Group president Jonathan Sorrell has stood down, the world’s largest listed hedge fund has announced. The company said in a statement to the stock exchange on Wednesday morning that Sorrell would be leaving to take up a role outside the FTSE250 firm. Read more: Hedge funds row back on controversial fee structure He will [...]
Investors engaged with environmental and governance issues, but audit and trust lag behind September 10, 2019 The UK’s largest investors are most concerned about environmental and corporate governance issues in the companies they invest in, but need to “step up” in other areas, new research has found. Audit, corporate reporting, trust, and reputation were all identified as areas where the UK’s top asset managers and owners have been “less engaged” in [...]
Debate: With its valuation in question, is WeWork’s IPO really a good idea? September 10, 2019 With its valuation in question, is WeWork’s IPO really a good idea? Yes – Andrew Boyle is founder and chief executive of LGB & Co. WeWork’s objectives of establishing a dominant market position and global brand demand substantial funding, so an IPO makes sense from the firm’s perspective. For investors, it offers a chance to [...]
London VC 4BIO raises first tranche of new $150m advanced therapies fund September 9, 2019 London-based venture capital firm 4BIO has completed the first round of fundraising for a new fund focused on the advanced therapies sector, which uses stem cells, genes and tissues to treat chronic medical conditions. 4BIO said the first tranche had attracted over $50m (£40.4m) of capital. The firm is hoping to raise $150m of capital [...]
How will global disruption affect small cap stocks? September 9, 2019 | City Talk Small capitalisation stocks, or small caps, can offer the potential for higher returns compared with investing in larger companies, although they are not without risks. As with all equities, investors may not get back the amount they originally invested. As well as the potential for higher returns, investors are also being drawn to the sector [...]
City watchdog calls on internet giants to do more in fight against financial crime ‘epidemic’ September 5, 2019 The chair of the Financial Conduct Authority has called on internet giants to play a greater role in tackling financial crime which he said had reached “epidemic proportions” in the UK. Charles Randell told the Cambridge Economic Crime Symposium on Wednesday night that “financial crime, specifically fraud against individuals, has reached epidemic proportions”. Randell said [...]
Political uncertainty spooks investors as UK equity outflows increase September 5, 2019 Cautious investors pulled £1.2bn from UK equity funds in July, with outflows increasing amid heightened political turmoil. UK equity funds experienced net outflows of £1.2bn, a significant increase on the £744m of outflows reported for June, according to figures from the Investment Association (IA). The funds have consistently seen new outflows over the past year, [...]