Have developed countries discovered the ideal corporate tax rate? June 26, 2025 International tax was once a veritable jungle of exotic regimes, but now many jurisdictions seem to have settled on a natural equilibrium of around 25 per cent, says Tim Sarson An interesting and rather consequential piece of tax policy from the new German coalition government might have slipped under your radar recently – they are [...]
Ring-fencing row puts Reeves in midst of Bank of England and City June 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves has found herself in the crosshairs of City chiefs and the Bank of England as she weighs whether to scrap ring-fencing rules. The Chancellor is facing pressure to rip up the rules imposed on British lenders after top banking chiefs branded the system “redundant”. Reeves said she is “open-minded” to ditching the 15-year-old [...]
AIM turns 30: Delistings, doubt and a dose of optimism June 19, 2025 AIM turns 30 today, but birthday celebrations are bound to be overshadowed by swathes of bleak data on the market’s performance. London’s junior stock market has had a woeful period, with projections indicating the index will shrink by a fifth as a result of delisting plans. The number of companies listed on the City’s Alternative [...]
City regulators’ growth mandate ‘pointless’ without major reform June 13, 2025 The “entrenched culture of risk aversion” at the City’s two flagship regulators has stymied meaningful progress on their mandates to aid economic growth, a House of Lords report has argued, despite persistent pressure from Westminster for them to boost UK competitiveness. In a withering assessment of the efforts made by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) [...]
Could Pisces replace AIM, or will it crash and burn? June 12, 2025 The FCA’s rules on the new Pisces private market framework have been published. It’s now over to exchange groups to apply to become operators, with trading expected to commence before the end of the year. It’s hoped these new types of platform, which facilitate the trading of shares in private companies, will address a long-standing [...]
Bank Aston to be first locally licensed Guernsey bank in 30 years June 12, 2025 Bank Aston has secured a banking licence from the Guernsey regulator that will make it the first locally licensed bank in the jurisdiction within 30 years. Bank Aston positions itself as a specialist provider for offshore trustees, investment funds, and family offices, which are key sectors in the Channel Islands’ financial services industry. The firm [...]
FCA appoints deputy chief to steer growth mission June 10, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has made Sarah Pritchard its deputy chief executive, a new role the watchdog has forged to reflect its growing remit and bolster its efforts to support the government’s growth mandate. The City’s main watchdog confirmed Pritchard’s appointment in an announcement on Tuesday, with the FCA’s integration with the Payments Systems [...]
Exclusive: Nikhil Rathi’s FCA is ready to go on the offensive June 10, 2025 Nikhil Rathi’s first five-year term at the helm of the FCA was dominated by difficult situations – most beyond his control, some firmly in it. But after being reappointed by Rachel Reeves in April, and with the added pressure of a new growth mandate from government, he outlines to Ali Lyon what he hopes his [...]
Has Klarna’s buy now, pay later bubble burst? June 6, 2025 Buy now, pay later services have exploded in the last decade and industry titan Klarna has spearheaded growth. The global BNPL market is expected to top $560.1bn (£412.8bn) in 2025 with 13.7 per cent annual growth. Swedish fintech Klarna has historically dominated the space, notching a net operating income of $1.087bn in 2020. The firm [...]
A Wise storm has rocked the London Stock Exchange’s fintech dream June 6, 2025 Hopes of a fintech-powered City markets revival may have been crushed on Thursday after money transfer firm Wise ditched its primary listing. The embattled London Stock Exchange was dealt its latest blow as the UK fintech opted for a dual listing across the Atlantic but with the US acting as its primary base. It’s no [...]