Mifid II launched one year ago and financial brokers are embracing the opportunity January 10, 2019 A year ago, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, commonly referred to as Mifid II, came into force. Arguably the most ambitious and wide-sweeping regulatory reform of the financial services industry in the last decade, it was touted as the death knell of sell-side equity research. Mifid II’s aim was to enhance transparency and [...]
Vita Mojo shakes things up with a £10m series A fundraise, backed by Investec November 28, 2018 Healthy food-focused restaurant chain Vita Mojo has raised £10m in a series A fundraising round led by Investec Bank, as it heads for expansion. The firm said it is now "coming out of stealth mode" to help other businesses with its technology, having already signed up a few major customers such as Virgin Active, Chilango and Wokit. [...]
For a rainy day: Monzo customers can now earn interest on their savings November 1, 2018 Fintech challenger bank Monzo is launching its first interest-earning savings pot. Customers will be able to create so-called savings pots within their Monzo account that will earn interest at one per cent per year, paid monthly, on savings of £1,000 and above. Customers can open up to 10 savings pots and can take money out [...]
M’s man Martin squashes the beef at Gaucho October 23, 2018 The boss of Gaucho has declared the days of London suits going out and “eating a kilo of steak” are over, as the restaurant chain prepares to rebound out of administration with a fresh, millennial-friendly look. Martin Williams, founder and chief executive of M Restaurants, is back in the saddle at Gaucho after leaving in [...]
FTSE asset management fund LBOW takes £25m loan from challenger bank Oaknorth October 17, 2018 UK challenger bank Oaknorth has completed a £25m loan to ICG-Longbow (LBOW), the London listed commercial real estate lender. Oaknorth has said today that it agreed a ‘loan-on-loan’ deal with LBOW, in which the challenger firm will lend the asset manager money which can then be further loaned out to property investors. The deal is [...]
Investec shares grow as it plans to demerge asset arm for London listing September 14, 2018 Shares in South African banking group Investec flew up 10 per cent today as it revealed plans to spin off its asset management arm and list it in London. Investec Asset Management (IAM) will be listed on the London Stock Exchange in a demerger Investec believes “simplifies the group”. It will also have an inward [...]
How to do a private sale of your business – Investec Comment September 6, 2015 When it comes to selling a business, one size certainly does not fit all. This is particularly true in a private sale and for medium-sized companies, which tend to be tightly staffed. Where there is a wall of cash waiting to invest in growing companies, it is easy to be tempted into a “spray [...]
The economic risks looming for small firms – Investec Comment August 31, 2015 Last week’s sharp sell-off in equity markets, apparently sparked by fears over the health of the Chinese economy, dramatically highlighted the risks to the global economic outlook. But the UK is still likely to enjoy moderate growth for at least the next two years. The CBI last week upgraded its UK forecasts for 2015 and [...]
Investec Comment: Five rules for businesses on social media August 23, 2015 Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest, social media has become an essential channel for businesses of all sizes to reach customers, potential customers, and wider society. The past few years have seen an intensification of the social trend. The ability of a company to access consumers directly (and vice versa), to be in the [...]
Investec Comment: Why UK investors have warmed to tech firms August 16, 2015 London has all the ingredients to remain an attractive location for technology companies to grow and seek investment. The capital has thriving public markets that have warmed to tech stocks. More and more VCs are putting money into London startups. There’s a greater number of incubators and accelerator programmes around. UK investors have also [...]