Plus 500 profit set to slump 62 per cent after regulatory crackdown January 6, 2020 Plus 500 today warned that annual profit and revenue could fall for the first time in at least three years due to tougher industry regulations. The online trader predicted revenue for its last financial year will hit $354m (£270.7m). That represents less than half of 2018’s total revenue of $720.4m, and comes after a regulatory [...]
Qasem Soleimani: Trump threatens Iraq with sanctions if US troops are expelled January 6, 2020 President Donald Trump has threatened Iraq with severe sanctions after its parliament called for US forces to leave the country, as the backlash over the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani intensifies. “We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s [in Iraq]. It cost billions of dollars to build, long before my time. [...]
Compass chairman Paul Walsh prepares to leave company January 6, 2020 The chairman of Compass is set to step down to pursue other interests. Paul Walsh will remain in his role as chairman and company director until the company finds a successor, and will not seek re-election at the 2021 annual general meeting. Read more: Paul Walsh is planning to leave Compass – report ‘It has [...]
Will the office become redundant in the 2020s? January 6, 2020 According to a survey by the Trade Union Congress, the number of people who regularly work from home in the UK has increased by 27 per cent over the past 10 years. As more and more companies acknowledge the benefits of flexible working, the technology enabling it continues to advance, offering remote workers improved connectivity. [...]
Why more and more fund managers are turning to shareholder activism January 6, 2020 According to Greta Thunberg, “the danger is when politicians and CEOs are making it look like real action is happening, when in fact almost nothing is being done.” She may find some unlikely bedfellows in the Square Mile. Active fund managers have endured a torrid time of late. The Woodford saga and M&G’s decision to [...]
The social media giants are becoming digital graveyards January 6, 2020 In the final weeks of 2019, Twitter announced an imminent cull of inactive accounts. Desultory users risked losing their Twitter handles and having to start building their social media presence all over again. But there was another implication: inactivity might also mean that the person behind the profile is no longer alive. Bereaved people reacted [...]
The top tech predictions for 2020 January 6, 2020 Welcome to 2020. After a week or more of festive cheer and turkey-induced fatigue, it’s time to get back to work. But don’t despair. The year — and decade — ahead is set to be an exciting one, especially in the world of technology. To find out what changes may lie ahead, City A.M. asked [...]
We can make this the decade of purpose-driven capitalism January 6, 2020 As we enter the 2020s, capitalism is suffering a crisis of confidence. Populists around the world are putting a simple spin on globalisation as against the interests of ordinary people. By contrasting the growth in developed economies with a simultaneous squeeze on living standards, they argue that the link has been severed between a profitable [...]
DEBATE: Will this be a better year for the economy than 2019? January 6, 2020 Will this be a better year for the economy than 2019? Dr Victoria Bateman, lecturer and fellow in Economics at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, says YES. It’s the start of a new year, a time of hope and new beginnings, so I’m going to kick things off on an optimistic note While there was [...]
Technology in the driving seat: There’s a futuristic road ahead for the car January 6, 2020 The future of mobility is an exciting yet sometimes unimaginable concept. There’s a temptation to jump to driverless vehicles and new forms of transport without considering the evolution that is currently already happening across the mobility industry. We believe that reports of “the death of the car” are greatly exaggerated, but we also know that [...]