Record rise in redundancies as firms battle coronavirus crisis October 13, 2020 Redundancies soared to the highest level in more than a decade, rising by a record 114,000 between June and August, due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that redundancies increased by 113,000 on the year, and a record 114,000 on the quarter, to 227,000. [...]
IMF chief: Climate change poses ‘profound threat’ to global growth October 13, 2020 Climate change poses a serious threat to global growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday, urging the world’s top emitters to agree on a floor for carbon prices. IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva told finance ministers meeting on climate change that countries should also ensure that green investments are included [...]
City to shift €150bn of UK assets into France ahead of Brexit October 13, 2020 Firms have begun shifting around €150bn (€135bn) of UK assets from the City into France ahead of the Brexit transition period deadline, according to the governor of the Bank of France. Francois Villeroy de Galhau told the Europlace International Financial Forum that the Bank of France has authorised asset shifts by 32 companies — mostly [...]
FTSE 100 closes lower amid new restrictions but US stocks rise October 12, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed lower after Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a new three-tier Covid alert system but US stocks rose as investors hoped for more stimulus. London’s blue-chip index ended the day 0.3 per cent lower at 6,001 points. The mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 0.5 per cent, however. Read more: Government set to unveil [...]
Nobel Prize in economics: What is auction theory and why is it important? October 12, 2020 US academics Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have won the 2020 Nobel Prize in economics for their groundbreaking work on the theory and practice of auctions. Milgrom and Wilson, 72 and 83 respectively, are both professors at Stanford University in California. They will split the 10m krona (£850,000) prize and each receive a gold medal. [...]
Collapse of global digital tax talks could cost $100bn, OECD warns October 12, 2020 The global economy could shed more than one per cent of output if international talks to rewrite cross-border tax rules break down and trigger trade wards, the OECD warned today. Nearly 140 countries agreed last week to extend talks on the first major rewriting of cross-border tax rules in a generation to mid-2021 after the [...]
Petropavlovsk deputy chief out as Hambro era comes to an end October 12, 2020 Petropavlovsk’s deputy chief executive has today left the firm as the Russia-focused gold miner shakes off the last traces of the Peter Hambro era. Alya Samokhvalova, who had been with the company for nearly two decades, was a key member of the mining group’s old guard. She took on the role of temporary chief exec [...]
We do not need to compromise the economy to fix the environment October 12, 2020 Overwhelming scientific evidence tells us that the climate is already changing. If we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and avoid the more extreme effects on our environment, averting potentially devastating consequences, we need to act now. And that is what the City of London Corporation is doing. Last week, it launched its [...]
Act now to close the education gap — or our economy will pay the cost for years to come October 12, 2020 If there were ever any doubt about the full cost of closing schools, the answer is now clear. It is a vast price — and one that will have to be paid by the nation on both a human and a financial level for many, many years to come. Alongside the mounting national debt being [...]
Bank of England asks UK banks about readiness for negative rates October 12, 2020 The Bank of England has asked UK banks for information about their readiness for zero or negative interest rates, following its announcement last month that it was considering taking rates negative if needed. In a letter today, deputy BoE governor Sam Woods told lenders: “we are requesting specific information about your firm’s current readiness to [...]