Treat customers fairly during coronavirus crisis, watchdog tells insurers March 19, 2020 Changes in how the public go about their lives because of the coronavirus pandemic must not make it harder for them to make insurance claims, the financial regulator has warned insurers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged firms to treat customers fairly and be transparent during the outbreak, noting that many consumers will be [...]
Supermarket sweep: Spending data reveals shopper stockpiling and collapse in holiday bookings March 19, 2020 Brits are stocking up on essentials and holding off on booking holidays as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the country, but they aren’t yet splashing the cash on takeaways, according to data from Starling Bank. The digital bank said customer spending at supermarkets was soaring to levels typically seen at Christmas, with warehouse outlet Costco entering [...]
Government measures will shore up British banks’ creditworthiness, says Moody’s March 19, 2020 Measures introduced by the Bank of England and Treasury to support the UK economy as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic will support British banks’ creditworthiness, according to ratings agency Moody’s. On Tuesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a financial support package including up to £330m of loan guarantees, equivalent to 15 per cent of GDP, [...]
Credit Suisse quarterly profit rises despite coronavirus turmoil March 19, 2020 Credit Suisse said it was on course to deliver strong results for the first quarter despite market volatility related to the coronavirus pandemic. In a trading update released this morning, the Swiss banking giant said profits for the quarter would comfortably beat the 1.06bn Swiss Francs (£940m) it reported before tax for the first quarter [...]
Onesavings Bank shares plunge as lender declines to give guidance over coronavirus March 19, 2020 Shares in Onesavings Bank plummeted after the specialist lender declined to issue full-year guidance over coronavirus-related uncertainty. The lender’s stock plunged as much as 26 per cent in morning trading, its biggest intraday fall since 2016, despite it posting a strong set of results. Statutory profit before tax increased 14 per cent for the year [...]
Crest Nicholson cancels dividend and guidance on coronavirus concerns March 19, 2020 Housebuilder Crest Nicholson has cancelled payment of its final dividend and withdrawn its full-year financial guidance due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company also said it would draw down all of a £250m credit facility to help cope with the hit to its business from Covid-19 related shutdowns. Crest Nicholson said it would have £185m [...]
Britain’s biggest banks warn coronavirus pandemic will hit income March 17, 2020 Some of the largest banks in Britain have warned the coronavirus pandemic will hit their already under-pressure earnings, with a decline in economic activity eating into fee income. Lloyds will delay part of a £3bn technology investment programme in response to the coronavirus pandemic to maintain its capital levels, its chief executive said today, as [...]
London Metal Exchange plans to suspend ring trading amid coronavirus outbreak March 17, 2020 The London Metal Exchange (LME) is planning to suspend open outcry trading and shift its business entirely on to electronic systems for the first time in its 143-year history to limit the spread of coronavirus. The LME said today that it expects to temporarily shutter Europe’s largest open-outcry trading venue next Monday to protect traders [...]
Coronavirus: France could nationalise big companies if necessary, says finance minister March 17, 2020 The French government is prepared to “use all means available” to support big companies struggling with the impact of market turmoil linked to coronavirus, including nationalisation, the finance minister said today. “I won’t hesitate to use all means available to protect big French companies,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on a call with journalists [...]
FTSE 100 slides after brief rebound following G7 coronavirus pledge March 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 has dropped back into the red, having initially recovered some of yesterday’s losses following a pledge from G7 leaders to do “whatever is necessary” to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Britain’s blue chip index gained as much as three per cent immediately after the open, but had fallen back into the red just [...]
