Exclusive: Two City lawyers on a mission to make their fintech the ‘Amazon of Islamic finance’ July 19, 2021 Islamic Finance Guru (IFG), a UK-based Islamic finance platform, has closed an investment round led by Outward venture capital, as the market for Islamic fintech grows. The UK-based startup has raised £3m from Outward VC and B&Y Venture Partners. The news come just a week after the Boubyan Bank Group announced that the world’s first [...]
US stocks fall despite upbeat retail sales in June July 16, 2021 An unexpected rebound in retail sales was not enough to prevent falls among US stocks on Friday. The blue-chip S&P 500 dropped 0.22 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.22 per cent. The Dow Jones lost 0.23 per cent during morning trading. The losses came as the US Labour Department released figures showing retail [...]
FTSE pushes higher as City awaits Monday’s reopening July 16, 2021 London’s markets rose this morning as the City geared up for Monday’s loosening of coronavirus restrictions and the unlocking of the rest of the economy. Both the FTSE 100 and mid-cap sibling the FTSE 250 are up 0.4 per cent so far today, pushed higher by a raft of heavyweight stocks. Although energy group DCC [...]
US stocks lose ground despite strong jobless claims July 15, 2021 US stocks fell on Thursday despite strong jobless claims data strengthening the outlook for the American economy. The blue chip S&P 500 dropped 0.65 per cent today, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 1.14 per cent on falls among growth stocks. The Dow Jones slipped 0.17 per cent. Read more: US stocks muted as Powell moves [...]
Oil prices slide further as traders brace for supply increase July 15, 2021 Oil prices slid further on Thursday as traders prepare for a wave of supply to flood the market. Benchmarks WTI Crude and Brent Crude were down 1.01 per cent and 0.92 per cent respectively today. Read more: Opec+ end deadlock over oil supply policy, says source Prices slid two per cent yesterday after news broke [...]
US stocks muted as Powell moves to temper inflation fears July 14, 2021 US stocks were broadly flat on Wednesday morning after Fed Chair Jay Powell suggested that inflation could run hot in the coming months. The blue-chip S&P 500 edged up 0.08 per cent, while the Dow Jones added 0.01 per cent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.02 per cent during the morning session. Read more: Powell: US [...]
PureGym mulling IPO as gym usage rebounds July 14, 2021 PureGym is considering reviving its plans for an initial public offering, as gyms across the UK rebound. In an update to bondholders earlier today, seen by City A.M., the no-frills gym chain said it was comparing its options for raising equity including, potentially, in the public markets. It is understood that the fitness chain is still [...]
Why China’s stunning vaccine surge could be good news for the world July 14, 2021 | City Talk Not only is the rapid roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations in China good news for the domestic economy, but it could also potentially see a sharp increase in exports of treatments to other emerging markets (EM). That would help those EM that have so far lagged behind in the vaccination race. And the geopolitical dynamics could [...]
China’s crackdown on crypto continues as more mining projects shut down July 14, 2021 The cryptocurrency industry in China was further hit today as Anhui province said it would close all crypto mining operations due to energy consumption concerns. The province in east China will shut down the energy-intensive projects as part of a package of changes to address a power supply shortage. Cryptocurrency prices continued to drop overnight, [...]
Collective raises £6m with Silicon Valley NFX, amid growing demands for gig worker benefits July 14, 2021 Collection Benefits, a UK insurance tech startup, have raised £6m in a round led by a Silicon Valley venture fund, as the demand for insurance and benefits in the gig economy continues. The year-old insurance provider also announced the appointment of Pete Flint OBE, the co-founder of Lastminute.com and a general partner at NFX, as [...]