Wray of light: serial investor on why small firms are the ‘spice of life’ February 5, 2019 | Sponsored Westminister can be a little sleepy over the weekend – the politicians, civil servants, lobbyists and other politicos drifting off to the shires. But the weekend of 30 March will be different. For starters the Saturday is the day after the UK is scheduled to leave the European Union. It seems unlikely the country will ‘go [...]
Crypto exchange Kraken buys London trading firm in nine-figure deal February 4, 2019 San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has finalised a deal to buy London trading firm Crypto Facilities. Kraken said it was one of the industry’s largest deals to date, valued at nine-figures. Though Crypto’s 25-strong team will remain in London, they will all become Kraken employees and expand the US firm's commitment to expanding its European [...]
Veteran investor Bill Gross to retire from Janus Henderson Investors next month February 4, 2019 Veteran investor Bill Gross has announced he will retire from Janus Henderson Investors next month. Gross, who founded Pimco in 1971, will step down from his role as portfolio manager of the Global Unconstrained Bond and Total Return strategies on 1 March and his responsibilities will be transferred to the Global Macro Fixed team led by [...]
Asset management firms face overhaul of fund disclosure after FCA publishes market study February 4, 2019 Asset management firms must provide greater clarity for investors to make more informed decisions, the UK’s financial regulator has said. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said today that managers must make fund objectives and investment policy descriptions more useful to investors, and explain how and why funds use particular benchmarks. Read more: A quarter of high [...]
How to reshape the financial system? First ditch the idea of the free market February 4, 2019 | City Talk Nick Silver, Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow, Cass Business School, writes for The Conversation. First published by Amy Ripley (Senior Communications Officer) Ten years ago the financial system collapsed and governments around the world intervened to save it. Much of the subsequent legislation, regulation and angst has attempted to make the system less risky so it [...]
Time to appreciate the perks of the job? February 4, 2019 For full-time office workers blinking out of the window onto the cold, grey, concrete City, the advantages that they enjoy over the self-employed might not seem obvious. You daydream about rocking up at one of those shared workspaces at 11am in your jeans, laptop on your back, ready for a self-managed day of freelancing, and [...]
Banking on diversification February 1, 2019 | Sponsored With a number of headwinds facing markets in 2019, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Alex Crooke, Fund Manager of The Bankers Investment Trust, explains how his team approaches the complexities of global stock markets. As we start 2019 there are plenty of reasons for investors to be cautious, as [...]
Should we be worried about the rise of the Bank of Mum and Dad mortgage? January 30, 2019 In the years leading up to the financial crisis, it was relatively easy for wannabe homeowners to get loans for the full value of a property – otherwise known as a 100 per cent loan-to-value mortgage. Of course, we know the problems caused by these mammoth loans, and since then, affordability criteria have become stricter [...]
JP Morgan Asset Management given green light to sell funds in China January 29, 2019 JP Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has had two funds approved for sale in China. The funds – the Asia Equity Dividend Fund and the Global Bond Fund – will be distributed through JPMAM’s joint venture partner China International Fund Management after the China Securities Regulatory Committee gave the US company the green light. The funds [...]
MJ Hudson launches Milan office to strengthen EU business January 29, 2019 MJ Hudson has opened an office in Milan as the asset management consultancy strengthens its European presence and targets further expansion. The firm launched a fund management solutions team in Luxembourg in 2017 to act as a gateway to Europe after the UK leaves the EU in March this year. Read more: 60 per cent of asset [...]