Don’t fall for the illusion of a good first impression September 6, 2016 "If you want us to invest, don’t upset the receptionist”. Passion Capital founder Eileen Burbidge sets great store by how those seeking investment from her treat the most junior of her employees. Walt Bettinger, chief executive of Charles Schwab, reportedly takes this even further. He invites prospective hires to breakfast, tips the waiter to provoke them [...]
Emerging markets fund specialist Ashmore’s share price edges up after firm beats profit expectations September 6, 2016 Ashmore Group’s share price rose by one per cent yesterday after the emerging markets fund specialist beat profit expectations in its full-year results. The figures Assets under management (AUM) of $52.6bn (£39.4bn) were down from $58.9bn in the year ending 30 June 2015. Ashmore’s net revenue for the period came in at £232.5m, down 18 per cent. Read [...]
Hong Kong follows UK lead with fintech “sandbox” September 6, 2016 Hong Kong is the latest city to follow the example of the UK's financial watchdog and set up its own scheme to accelerate the development of financial technology. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has launched a so-called sandbox to let banks experiment with as yet unregulated technology and ideas. Read more: A new corporate-backed fintech [...]
Insurtech investment in the UK has tripled September 6, 2016 Investment in the insurance technology sector – part of London's world leading fintech scene – is booming. More than $22m (£16.5m) has been ploughed into insurtech so far this year – nearly triple the amount invested in the whole of last year and faster growth than any other country in the world. The research from Accenture and CB Insights, [...]
Gold and silver demand hit a four-year high in August as Brexit uncertainty took its toll September 6, 2016 Don't buy gold: it turns out everyone else is already all over it, after new figures suggested demand for the yellow metal has reached a four-year high in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. Figures published by BullionVault today suggested demand for gold from private investors in August was at its strongest since December 2012. Read [...]
Women are totally leaning in – they just don’t get a pay rise out of it September 6, 2016 The famous mantra of top Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg is "lean in", but it turns out women are already doing that when it comes to negotiating that all important pay rise. While conventional thinking indicates that "don't ask, don't get" is to blame for holding women back from getting pay rises, and contributing to the well documented gender discrepancy in [...]
Why Neil Woodford’s experiment could impact your workplace September 6, 2016 Bonuses are disappearing from the City, and not necessarily because the firms offering them have suffered poor financial performance. Senior figures in the fund management world, most notably Neil Woodford, have decided to scrap bonuses in their firms, challenging the conventional wisdom that they are necessary to incentivise employees to perform. The argument goes that [...]
In from the cold: Russia’s Chinese strategy could hurt European stocks September 5, 2016 Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, western sanctions have choked the Russian economy. Though Russia is considered to be the biggest loser from these trade and service restrictions, the sanctions are thought to have cost western firms billions of dollars in lost business too. And with the greatest share of Russia’s market, it [...]
Delaying the inevitable: How long can central banks extend the credit cycle? September 5, 2016 Calling the end of the current credit cycle is becoming an increasingly popular sport among seasoned market-watchers. While there is division over exactly when it will conclude, the consensus is it will be soon. Last week, Deutsche Bank analysts came to the conclusion that they were “not quite ready to call the end of the [...]
London fintech star Transferwise doubles revenue as losses grow September 5, 2016 Fintech unicorn Transferwise has revealed revenue tripled last year but losses grew as it continues to plough cash into global growth. Revenue came in at £28m in 2015, up from £10m the previous year, while pre-tax losses grew to £17m from £11m a year earlier. The payments firm transfered more than £800m a month for customers, which now number one million. The number of transactions has also [...]
