Criminal Commission consider report alleging Tom Hayes was wrongfully convicted for Libor rigging July 26, 2021 An academic paper that claims Tom Hayes was wrongfully convicted for rigging Libor interest rates is under review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). It’s the latest development in an ongoing inquiry by the CCRC – the body responsible for investigating suspected miscarriages of justice – into the former trader’s case. The CCRC confirmed [...]
Regulation and investors’ demands push fund managers towards ESG July 20, 2021 Regulatory imperatives and investor demand are driving an increased focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles, according to a PwC report published today. The study found that three-quarters of the fund managers questioned – holding £15.5 trillion in assets – are being influenced by investors and policymakers to drive sustainability outcomes. Regulation 76 [...]
BlackRock flexes shareholder muscle and ups votes against company management July 20, 2021 The world’s largest asset manager has toughened its stance on corporate governance and increased its votes against board proposals and executive pay at large public companies worldwide. In its quarterly stewardship report published on Tuesday, BlackRock said it voted against management on 33 per cent of “say-on-pay” proposals in European companies in the year to [...]
Cairngorm Capital acquires robo-adviser and wealth manager to launch new digital firm July 15, 2021 Private equity firm Cairngorm Capital has acquired wealth manager Whitefoord and robo-adviser Munnypot to launch a new digital firm combining financial advice with investment management. The new firm, called Verso Wealth Management, will combine online investment service Munnypot’s digital platform technology with Whitefoord’s investment management and financial advice services to create an automated advice platform. [...]
Gresham House assets grow steadily as ESG appetite endures July 15, 2021 Gresham House reported steady growth in the first half of the year in a trading update this morning, as interest in ESG investment continued to push its assets under management higher. The asset manager reported a 19 per cent rise in AUM to £4.7bn, with organic growth of £457m driven by its real estate division, [...]
BlackRock smashes profit estimates as assets reach almost $10 trillion July 14, 2021 Blackrock has reported a 14 per cent rise in quarterly profit and a record $9.5tn in assets under management, signalling increased investor confidence in a post-pandemic economic recovery. The asset management giant posted a second quarter profit of $1.378bn (£994m) or $8.92 per share, up from $1.214bn and $7.85 per share a year earlier. Its [...]
Bottom-up ESG: New platform wants to give retail investor army voting power for £1 July 9, 2021 Tulipshare is targeting the next generation of shareholders by tapping into their booming interest in retail investment and demand for a corporate ESG overhaul. The new UK-based activist investment platform wants to enable individuals to “vote with their money” for change from the inside at Amazon, Coca-Cola and Apple by investing as little as £1. [...]
London IPO: LendInvest prices AIM float as it looks to raise £40m July 9, 2021 Property finance asset manager LendInvest will float on the AIM index on Wednesday, with shares priced at 186p
BlackRock raises $250m for climate funds in emerging markets July 8, 2021 BlackRock raised over $250m (£181m) for its climate finance fund to invest in a selection of countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, the company announced today. Through its Climate Finance Partnership, the world’s biggest asset manager will focus on investing in renewable power generation, energy storage solutions and electrified transportation services. Blackrock said it aims [...]
Hedge fund Marshall Wace plots investments in cryptocurrency companies July 6, 2021 The London-based hedge fund group is planning to buy stakes in privately held digital asset companies that are at a late stage in their development. Marshall Wace is planning a long term crossover strategy to make late-stage venture capital investments in digital finance companies, a person with knowledge of the plans told City A.M. The [...]