I would kill to be CEO of… Royal Mail November 28, 2019 Royal Mail has been struggling for a while. Shares are far below their 2013 floatation price, the company has fallen out of the FTSE 100, and it continues to face challenges as the decline in letter-sending accelerates. With that said, the business has managed to post a significant uplift in both half-year revenues and profits. [...]
Revealed: the global league table of pension worry November 27, 2019 | City Talk Where in the world are investors most concerned about their pension savings? Schroders surveyed over 25,000 investors to find out. Experts often warn of a growing crisis in retirement saving. A study by the World Economic Forum, for example, calculated that the total shortfall in some of the world’s largest pensions markets would grow from $70 [...]
How the main political parties plan to help renters November 27, 2019 Wherever you stand on the recent debate about landlords putting thermostats in cages, many of us can agree that the rental system needs improving. This has become increasingly apparent as the number of people living in private rented accommodation has grown, doubling in the past three decades. Fortunately (and perhaps unsurprisingly), the main political parties [...]
To be resilient in these tough times, leaders need to replace hubris with humility November 27, 2019 What does it take to succeed as a leader in today’s business environment? In a year which has already seen the demise of Thomas Cook and Mothercare, resilient leaders recognise the value of investing in a culture that instils a clear strategic purpose. It’s also about offering tactical freedom by teams with the trust and [...]
Portfolios of biggest asset managers ‘misaligned’ with climate targets November 27, 2019 The world’s largest asset managers – responsible for a collective $37 trillion (£29 trillion) – are failing to invest in a manner that supports the goals set out in international targets on climate change, according to research released today. The investment portfolios of the 15 biggest asset managers are “misaligned” with the goals of the [...]
Thousands could face ‘huge’ tax bills for failing to report pensions growth November 26, 2019 Thousands of pension scheme members could face large tax bills for failing to report pensions growth on their tax returns. HMRC said today it was aware some individuals have not reported exceeding the annual allowance for pensions contributions, which currently stands at £40,000. Read more: Exclusive: Pensions minister demands simpler workplace pension statements “This admission [...]
FCA to ban marketing of mini-bonds amid concerns over investor losses November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today set out to ban the mass marketing of speculative mini-bonds to ordinary investors. The watchdog said the unregulated bonds could cause harm to amateurs, following a spate of investor losses. Read more: What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban [...]
What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today announced it is using its special powers to ban the marketing of some unregulated mini-bonds to individual investors. Mini-bonds have come under scrutiny since the collapse of lender London Capital & Finance (LCF) earlier this year, but what exactly are the controversial investment products, and what has the FCA [...]
IPOs – no sure thing? November 26, 2019 | City Talk IPOs always attract plenty of attention, particularly when they are of highly-recognised companies. But are they a wise destination for investor cash? IPOs offer plenty of glamour, a change from the usual stocks in an index, and there have been plenty of new entrants to the UK stock market over the past ten years. Some [...]
Green Bonds vs. Traditional Bonds November 26, 2019 | City Talk Are environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing returns higher, lower, or the same as those of comparable traditional investments? This question is the source of constant debate. Because ESG investing integrates non-traditional sources of risk that are not always priced by the market, some theorize that ESG approaches might generate higher returns than traditional assets. Contrasting green and non-green [...]
