KPMG to cash in on tech fundraising boom via stake in venture capital advisor April 27, 2022 KPMG is seeking to capitalise on the UK’s booming technology startup ecosystem by acquiring a 50 per cent stake in venture capital fundraising advisor Acceleris. The Big Four accountancy firm is hoping to cash in on the booming market for tech startup fundraising by teaming up with the tech-focused venture capital firm. The deal, which [...]
Retail demand protected by shoppers using lockdown savings and buy now pay later services April 21, 2022 Consumer retail demand will be protected by shoppers dipping into lockdown savings and using buy now pay later services, despite increased pressure on household budgets. Economists have said consumer demand will not see a significant drop in the coming months despite tightening purse strings across the country. Evidence showed households were turned to credit to [...]
Retail sales slow as consumer confidence now lower than horsemeat scandal April 12, 2022 Retail sales slowed last month as consumer confidence has taken a hit as shoppers feel the bite of rising cost inflation. According to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG, sales increased by 3.1 per cent in March. This was worse than a three-month average growth of 6.9 per cent. What’s more, retail [...]
UK’s audit watchdog set to reclaim control over licensing of major accountancy firms April 12, 2022 The UK’s audit watchdog is preparing to strengthen its powers to sanction Britain’s major accountancy firms. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is readying itself to take back control over the registration of the UK’s auditing firms, sources told the Financial Times. In doing so, the FRC would be given new powers to strip licenses from [...]
US audit watchdog hits former KPMG exec with largest ever fine for role in leaked info scandal April 7, 2022 The body that regulates the US audit industry has fined a former KPMG executive $100,000, after pledging to crack down on “top-level personnel” in America’s biggest accountancy firms. The US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) issued a $100,000 fine to former KPMG vice chair of audit Scott Marcello, over his failure to prevent [...]
Big Four cut ties to China’s debt-ridden property giants as developers delay results March 30, 2022 The Big Four auditors have begun cutting their links to China’s heavily indebted property developers, amid mounting concerns over the sector’s debt crisis. Accountancy giants Deloitte and PwC have both pulled out of auditing at a slew of Chinese property developers over the past three months. The exits come as PwC is reportedly set to [...]
Accounting vacancies boom will benefit London as job openings bounce back to pre-pandemic levels March 24, 2022 The number of job openings for accountancy positions has rebounded after dropping sharply during the pandemic. Vacancies in accounting are set to jump 6.9 per cent between this quarter and the next, to land at levels more 50 per cent higher than in Q2 2021. Following a lull in the hiring during the fourth quarter [...]
Major shakeup is needed to fix the Big Four, expert says March 18, 2022 A prominent academic has called on the government to expedite its audit reforms, after arguing a serious shakeup is needed to prevent an “appalling” situation from getting worse. Speaking to City A.M. accountancy expert Professor Atul Shah said, “the record of the UK’s auditing industry has been appalling over the last two decades and it’s [...]
Big Four auditors EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC face SEC probe over conflicts-of-interest March 16, 2022 The US watchdog tasked with regulating financial markets has launched an investigation into potential conflicts of interest in the Big Four accountancy companies. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set up a probe into whether the Big Four’s businesses selling consulting and non-audit services undermine their ability to provide objective and independent audits, [...]
Sanctions will force consultancies to drop Russian clients, consultancy trade body says March 2, 2022 The trade body for management consultancies has said the UK government’s sanctions on Russia and Belarus will “inevitably” mean some consultancies will be forced to cut links with some of their clients. In a statement, Tamzen Isacsson, Chief Executive of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), said: “Our firms are strictly abiding by the updated changes [...]