Remortgage sales hit highest level since before the pandemic outnumbering all other types of home loans June 29, 2022 The FCA’s latest data shows that remortgage sales in the fourth quarter of last year, at 92,558, reached their highest level of activity since early 2020, before the outbreak of the pandemic. In fact, they outnumbered all other types of home loans for the first time since the third quarter of 2020, according to analysis [...]
AIM IPOs fall to lowest level since 2009 with just one in Q2 2022 June 29, 2022 The UK’s Alternative Investment Market had the lowest number of IPOs since 2009 in 2022’s second quarter. Only one company floated in Q2 and raised £6m, research by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young found. The last quarter to experience IPO activity this low was the first quarter of 2009, following the start of the financial crisis, [...]
Nervous gambling sector holds its breath as govt moves towards maximum casino stakes and ban on free bets and VIP packages June 29, 2022 The Prime Minister is set to announce restrictions on the industry as part of the review of the 2005 Gambling Act amid concerns current regulations require changes to accommodate the growth of online betting. The Government confirmed it will publish a White Paper into gambling reform in coming weeks. The Times reported proposals to prohibit [...]
London’s hotel mojo is back as occupancy rates climb albeit pandemic recovery remains ‘uphill battle’ June 29, 2022 Recovering occupancy rates and food and beverage sales are rapidly powering a recovery in the London hotel market, albeit slower than the industry had anticipated. For the first time since prior to the pandemic, occupancy rates in London are now exceeding the rest of the UK, at 66.9 per cent, overtaking UK rates of 68.4 [...]
Are we heading for a global recession? June 29, 2022 | City Talk Keith Wade, Chief Economist, discusses what central bankers’ next move might be, what markets are pricing in and what the probability of a recession is. People are worrying about a global recession and with good reason. But what if the factors driving rising prices are beyond the limits of policymakers’ control? The squeeze on living [...]
More than two thirds of all British businesses face an acute skills shortage resulting in trading hit or stalled growth June 29, 2022 More than three quarters of UK firms have said they are seeing trading hit or growth stalled amid intensifying skills shortages. The Open University’s annual Business Barometer report, which was conducted in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) this year, found that more than two thirds (68%) of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) [...]
UK cuts oil imports from Russia after Ukraine invasion as Norway establishes energy dominance June 29, 2022 Imports of Russian oil have tanked this year, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine with traders seeking alternatives after Western sanctions.
DeFi-ing the rules: five opportunities and five risks of decentralised finance June 29, 2022 | City Talk In the Star Wars universe, the Force is a mystic energy field generated by living beings that binds the galaxy together. The ability to wield the Force gives Jedi Knights their superhuman abilities, making them peacekeepers of the galaxy. But how powerful would the Jedi be if every ‘transaction’ that used the Force had to [...]
London markets follow Wall Street lower as rate hike jitters ramp up June 29, 2022 London markets followed their Wall Street counterparts lower today as investors fretted over the pace of rate hikes by central banks to tame inflation. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.44 per cent to 7,291.48 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
£6.3bn takeover of aeroplane giant Meggitt heading for final approval as UK govt is ‘minded to accept’ June 29, 2022 The UK Government said it was “minded” to accept measures to address competition and national security concerns so it can greenlight the £6.3bn takeover of British aeroplane parts maker Meggitt by a US rival. The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said late last night that Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was poised to accept [...]