The Cryptoassets Taskforce Reports – Missing the Point November 6, 2018 Let me take you back 20 years to 1998 and the days when modems sang to us. In most of the boardrooms around the land those even considering the matter where trying to figure out what use this web thing might be to them, as another smart tech salesperson packed away their gear hopeful of [...]
Ofgem’s energy price cap to come into effect from new year, but critics say switching is still more effective November 6, 2018 Ofgem's energy price cap is set to come into force from 1 January, the regulator said today. But consumer groups have warned it is a “temporary fix” that could put customers off switching between providers to find the cheapest deals. Ofgem said the cap, announced in September, will reduce £1bn in overcharging on gas and electricity [...]
Ex-CEO returns to troubled stockbroker Cenkos 18 months after he left November 5, 2018 Former chief executive of City stockbroker Cenkos Securities, Jim Durkin, has returned to the company just 18 months after stepping down. Shares were up by two per cent after the announcement that Durkin, who stepped down in May after five years in the role and was replaced by former Bank of England economist Anthony Hotson, [...]
How has the US stock market performed around midterm elections? November 2, 2018 | City Talk After a torrid October for stock markets, there is concern among investors that the US equity market could yet have further to fall, with a combination of macroeconomic factors and political tensions clouding the outlook. The latest political event on the agenda is the US mid term elections, which could define the remainder of Donald [...]
From today you have to pay extra for your Ryanair hand luggage November 1, 2018 Ryanair's controversial new hand luggage rules take effect today, with customers having to pay extra if they want to take a small carry-on bag on board. For many airlines, two pieces of hand luggage are free of charge and already included in the price. But Ryanair passengers must pay £6 to add a 10kg cabin [...]
Asset manager Janus Henderson revenue loss driven by performance fee drop November 1, 2018 A decline in UK and European fund performance drove a revenue drop at asset management firm Janus Henderson in the third quarter. Revenue fell from $477.7m (£369.7m) in the second quarter to $468.9 between July and September this year following a dip fees after several large European equity strategies, absolute return products and mutual funds performed [...]
Carpetright remains under pressure as store closures mean like-for-like sales ‘remain negative’ November 1, 2018 Low sales have forced British retailer Carpetright to close 67 stores in the first half of the year, it said today. The FTSE 250 firm closed those that failed to reach sale targets, with six further retail sites expected to shut shop by the end of 2018, the company told investors today. Carpetright did not share sales [...]
Returns from peer-to-peer lending look attractive, but is it a sensible sector to invest for retirement? November 1, 2018 Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) has long been deemed by many professionals in the conventional investment industry as too risky for retail investors. And yet, this technology driven form of lending has surged in popularity over the past decade, which is largely a result of the sector offering a decent return where other asset classes have struggled. [...]
Budget 2018: Austerity killed off – if a Brexit horror show is avoided October 31, 2018 | City Talk The 2018 Budget was brought forward this year to avoid a nightmare clash with the Brexit negotiations. It was clear from the Chancellor’s speech that he was keen to avoid a ghoulish backlash from any controversial announcements. Indeed, the majority of policy measures unearthed had been leaked to the press beforehand, leaving Philip Hammond with [...]
Brazil backs Bolsanaro: what next? October 31, 2018 The will and ability to reform Financial markets, at least, had been rooting for a defeat of the left-wing candidate Fernando Haddad, successor to former president Lula, on the basis of the very different economic policies espoused by the two candidates. Superficially, this seems odd given that Bolsonaro has repeatedly voted against reform and spoken [...]