G20 nations including UK agree to raise IMF funds March 2, 2021 The G20 agrees to inflate IMF funds as a gesture to poorer countries to help them recover from pandemic.
May the forest be with you! Putting a price on nature March 2, 2021 | City Talk Natural resources are often seen as free inputs that any company may use to produce an output. The exploitation cost alone is how firms assess a natural asset’s monetary value. In this way, natural resources tend to be seen as infinite: there is no clear sense of how overexploitation can destroy surrounding ecosystems. Today, many [...]
Sterling loses early gains as new mutations dent vaccine optimism March 1, 2021 Sterling failed to hold onto early gains on Monday, as concerns over cases of a new Brazil coronavirus variant dented hopes that the UK’s swift vaccine rollout will usher a speedy economic recovery. The pound soared as high as $1.3999 in Asian trading, after retreating from a three-year high on Friday amid inflation concerns. In [...]
Klarna’s valuation soars to $31bn after $1bn funding round March 1, 2021 Klarna has secured a $1bn fundraising round bringing the valuation of the buy now pay later firm to $31bn. The four times oversubscribed round makes Klarna the highest-valued European private fintech after a surge in online shopping during the pandemic. It comes amid speculation that the Swedish payments firm will go public with chief executive [...]
British family sells $10m Van Gogh to avoid rise in capital gains tax February 26, 2021 A British family are selling a Vincent Van Gogh drawing for a record breaking $10m (£7.1m) to avoid a potential rise in capital gains tax in next Wednesday’s budget. Thomas Gibson, a London art dealer, and his three sons have decided to sell the Van Gogh alongside seven other works, including art by Lucian Freud [...]
Chancellor set to launch tech visa following Kalifa review February 26, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to launch a fast-track visa programme for tech workers following proposals set out by the Kalifa review into the industry. Speaking to the Financial Times Sunak said the scheme would help “scale up” the industry, saying the new visa stream would be a “calling card for what we are about”. [...]
Kalifa review: Fintech industry welcomes ‘invaluable’ tech visa after Brexit February 26, 2021 Recommendations from the government-commissioned Kalifa review published today have been broadly welcomed by the fintech industry. The UK has been at the forefront of innovation in recent years – the sector is worth an estimated £11bn in revenue and represents 10 per cent of the global market. But the report, led by former Worldpay boss [...]
Chancellor Rishi Sunak ‘planning stealth tax rise’ on wealthy pensioners in next week’s Budget February 26, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak 'planning stealth tax increase' on wealthy pensioners in next week's Budget
Kalifa Review: Others waiting for UK fintech’s ‘crown to slip’ February 26, 2021 The head of the much-awaited government-backed review into the fintech industry has warned the UK risks falling behind if recommendations aren’t quickly implemented. Former head of payments firm Worldpay Ron Kalifa led the review published today which sets out plans to capitalise on the growing fintech industry. The scope of the review is large, ranging [...]
Exclusive: UK finance leaders want buoyant investment as we enter post-Covid world February 26, 2021 UK finance leaders are gearing up for a year of eager investment as Covid recovery prospects boost economic positivity, according to a report by procurement consultancy Proxima. The survey found that a combination of political change and post-Covid visions are underpinning an overwhelmingly positive outlook. So, what will the future bring for the UK’s wounded [...]
