Threadneedle Asset Management fined £6m by City watchdog Financial Conduct Authority over fraud near-miss December 15, 2015 Threadneedle Asset Management has been fined more than £6m after the company narrowly avoided being made a victim of fraud by a member of staff. The City watchdog said the company did not have sufficient controls in place, which left it vulnerable to an attempted $150m (£98m) fraud carried out by Vladimir Gersamia, a fund manager on [...]
Eurozone employment edges up to six-year high December 15, 2015 Around half a million more people found jobs in the Eurozone in the three months to September, taking the number of people in work to six-year high. The number of people employed in the currency-bloc climbed 0.3 per cent compared with the three months to June to 151.5m, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical [...]
Where to invest in buy-to-let properties for the best rental and capital yields: Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and north west versus London December 15, 2015 Buy-to-let investors worried there may be a bust coming can breathe a sigh of relief, for the moment at least – new figures show little sign of new measures such as a hike in stamp duty and mortgage interest tax relief putting a dampener on things. "If a buy to let bust really was just [...]
Ho, ho, ho: From Ed Miliband to Wikileaks, here are 10 lol-tastic City-related Christmas cracker jokes December 15, 2015 Let's face it, the anticipation of opening a Christmas cracker is always better than the rather disappointing result: inevitably, a limp hat, a toy that breaks within minutes and a joke that makes everyone groan. But groan no more: UKTV comedy channel Gold has come up with the UK's best Christmas cracker jokes. They're topical, [...]
British astronaut Tim Peake has blasted off into space: Here’s what you should know about the ISS mission December 15, 2015 British astronaut Tim Peake is currently heading skyward aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, heading beyond the Earth's atmosphere to the International Space Station (ISS). Just after 11am today, Peake took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. You can watch his mission live here: Once he reaches his destination, he'll spend the next six months carrying out [...]
UK house price growth hits its highest since March – and that’s before buy-to-let investors began the rush December 15, 2015 UK house prices grew seven per cent in the year to October, their highest growth since March. The average house price rose to £287,000, up from £286,000 in September, the Office for National Statistics said, as the prospect for low interest rates continued to fuel the market. The largest increase was experienced in the East of England, [...]
UK inflation: We’re back in the black as inflation moves into positive territory December 15, 2015 UK inflation rose to 0.1 per cent in November, figures by the Office for National Statistics showed today – putting the UK back into positive territory for the first time since July. But analysts were less than optimistic about its ability to stay in the black. The figures showed rises in transport costs and alcohol [...]
The biggest market moving moments of 2015, from the Chinese currency devaluations to the commodities crisis December 15, 2015 From Greece to China's Black Monday, It hasn't been an easy ride for many this year, with volatility taking global recovery in new and interesting directions. With the year nearing its end, we've looked back at the biggest market-moving moments of 2015. Contagion, anyone? Greece's General Election in January had far reaching consequences for the Eurozone, not just [...]
Move over Mog and Man of the Moon: Science says we loved Harvey Nichols’ “gift face” more than the Sainsburys and John Lewis Christmas adverts in 2015 December 15, 2015 Move over Mog and Man on the Moon, it's Harvey Nichols' "gift face" Christmas advert which really connected with us and made us feel something this festive season. If you haven't seen it, the ad features a recreation of the day itself and the less than inspired gift giving which takes place on it, urging us [...]
Highbury and Islington station reopened after fire alert prompted evacuation December 15, 2015 Highbury & Islington station has been reopened after commuters were evacuated in response to a fire alert. The station was temporarily closed to the Victoria Line and London Overground due to the fire signal, but has now been reopened after the London Fire Brigade attended the scene. Travellers at the station were evacuated at around [...]