Banks need WhatsApp alternative fast to dodge hefty fines, warns former FCA official September 28, 2022 Banks and brokerages need to roll out new messaging platforms fast to “crack down” on the use of Whatsapp by staff, a former City regulator warned today, after US regulators slapped a group of Wall Street giants with $1.8bn worth of fines.
Rates on UK debt surge higher and pound slumps against US dollar September 28, 2022 Rates on UK debt surged higher today and the pound trailed the US dollar again driven by investors sweating over the government’s tax and borrowing splurge. The yield on the 30-year UK gilt jumped six basis points to 5.048 per cent, the highest since 1998. Investors were demanding a greater return ahead of the government [...]
Bank of England chief economist warns of ‘significant’ response to market turmoil September 27, 2022 The Bank of England’s chief economist today rushed to calm the City by promising a “significant” response to the UK market turmoil. Huw Pill said it is hard “not to conclude” the Bank must hike interest rates steeply at its next meeting on 3 November after markets were rocked by chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax cuts and [...]
IMF “monitoring developments” in UK after currency fall and mini-budget September 27, 2022 The International Monetary Fund gave Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss a slap on the wrist this evening, with a spokesman saying it did not “recommend large and untargeted fiscal packages” amid inflation concerns. The warning from the IMF comes after another day of currency fluctuations, triggered by a so-called ‘mini budget’ of tax cuts announced [...]
London’s FTSE 100 dragged down by house builders as more rate hikes loom September 27, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 fell today driven lower by house builders tumbling on the prospect of higher interest rates. The capital’s premier index lost 0.52 per cent to drop to below 7,000 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, tumbled 2.36 per cent to [...]
House prices may tumble a fifth if Bank of England hikes rates steeply, economists warn September 27, 2022 House prices could tumble as much as 21 per cent if the Bank of England is forced to hike interest rates steeply in response to the government’s tax and borrowing splurge fuelling inflation, City economists have warned. Mortgage affordability – the ratio of a home purchase loan to the size of the borrower’s income – [...]
Competition does not mean ‘regulatory race to the bottom’, banking watchdog warns September 27, 2022 The UK’s banking watchdog warned it will not engage in a “regulatory race to the bottom” today as Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng prepare to shake up UK financial rules in a bid to boost growth.
Exclusive: City insider urges retail not to make knee-jerk cuts in ad budgets September 27, 2022 Recent figures show retail is feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show a 0.5 per cent drop in spending last month, with a 1.6 per cent decrease in food sales. As a result, many businesses are under so much pressure they have no choice but to [...]
Hedge funds reap rewards after bets against bonds September 27, 2022 A crop of hedge funds have been reaping bumper profits from a plummeting pound this week after wagering against government bonds and sterling ahead of Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax cutting ‘mini-budget’ on Friday.
Exclusive: STV’s boss on the BBC and conquering the world as Scotland’s peaktime leader September 27, 2022 The British broadcasting sector is hit by one challenge after the next. Following the rapid rise of the likes of Netflix in recent years, the next hurdle presented itself when the pandemic struck two years ago. As a result, the advertising market is under huge pressure and many national and regional broadcasters are struggling to [...]