Timetable set for Neil Woodford fund repayments December 13, 2019 Administrators have finalised details for the winding up of Neil Woodford’s Equity Income Fund (WEIF), the suspension of which triggered a scandal that led to the collapse of his investment empire. In a letter to investors today, Link Fund Solutions said the process of winding up the fund will begin on 18 January. The final [...]
Election 2019: Record number of female MPs will enter Parliament December 13, 2019 As always on the morning after the election night before, the nation will today be split into two camps. Exultant Boris Johnson supporters will be rubbing their hands together as they look forward to “getting Brexit done,” while Labour voters will be crying into their cornflakes. But whatever tribe you belong to, the news that [...]
DEBATE: Should more businesses consider offering ‘hangover days’? December 13, 2019 Should more businesses consider offering ‘hangover days’? Claire Crompton, director of The Audit Lab, says YES. Hangover days are essentially sexed-up working from home days. We offer them to allow employees the flexibility to be accountable for their own productivity and targets. We are decisively anti-micro management, and trust the people who work for us. [...]
This is the moment to remake the case for global liberalism December 13, 2019 Penning a comment piece for the day of an election is a difficult task. You have to speculate, tread the political waters carefully, and perhaps dare to make a prediction before people head to the polls. But writing something to be published the day after an election is even more daunting. The world of politics [...]
It takes two chief executives to shake up a business December 13, 2019 In the words of Marvin Gaye, sometimes it takes two. And as the world of business changes and evolves, the same rule could also apply — because one person at the helm is no longer enough. The technological revolution of the past 20 years has had a huge impact on the economy, and disrupted nearly [...]
Soros hedge fund bets £16m against Daily Mail owner shares December 12, 2019 The hedge fund of billionaire investor George Soros has taken out a £16m short position against media group Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which owns the Daily Mail. The London arm of Soros Fund Management, SFM UK Management, made a bet worth 0.9 per cent of DMGT’s shares, showed filings published by the Financial [...]
Softbank-backed Oneconnect slashes IPO and lowers valuation December 12, 2019 Chinese fintech Oneconnect has slashed its target valuation and downsized its planned initial public offering (IPO) in the US, in yet another blow for Softbank. The fintech, which is a subsidiary of Chinese insurance giant Ping An, downsized its planned stock market debut in New York by 28 per cent. Read more: Another dog for Softbank [...]
Opportunities in an evolving financial industry December 12, 2019 | City Talk In today’s investment landscape, a paradigm shift is underway. Economic headwinds, ever-changing financial regulations, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and financial technology are transforming the industry. What clients want is evolving, too. Returns alone are not enough. Clients today are looking for asset managers who can meet a comprehensive set of needs and deliver greater value [...]
John Laing shares drop after warning net assets will fall below expectations December 12, 2019 Shares in John Laing dropped this morning after the greenfield infrastructure investor said its net asset value (NAV) for the year would be below expectations. In a trading update issued this morning, the group said that uncertainty over a number of factors will impact its full-year results, including progress with ongoing transactions and the outcome [...]
You don’t have to follow the old boys’ club rules of networking December 12, 2019 As the saying goes, “it’s not what you know but who you know” — and the reality today is that if you want to be successful, you need to have a great network of relevant connections. In fact, a report from Virgin found that up to 46 per cent of jobs are filled through networking, [...]