Oil production freeze: Iran rebuffs Opec petition for an output cut February 17, 2016 Iran has reportedly rejected requests from oil cartel Opec to cut its production, shortly after oil ministers from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and Venezuela landed in the country to carry out talks. Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said Iran would resist any plan to rein in its oil output, Reuters reported. Venezuelan's Eulogio Del Pino, Iraq's [...]
Economic think tank calls for Openreach to be carved out from BT as Ofcom deadline looms February 17, 2016 BT faces fresh calls for its broadband infrastructure arm Openreach to be hived off today, after economists at the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) found the UK is falling behind international competitors. The CPS also has warned Britain's current broadband infrastructure market appears anti-competitive and Ofcom should refer the issue to the Competition and Markets Authority [...]
Online alternative finance doubles in 2015 to £3.2bn as institutions buy into the idea February 17, 2016 The online alternative finance market almost doubled in 2015 to £3.2bn according to a report from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and innovation foundation Nesta. The market's 84 per cent growth slowed from the year before however when it increased a whopping 161 per cent. “Although the absolute year-on-year growth rate is slowing down,” the report [...]
Bank chiefs warn of more pain to come as cost cutting expected to be ramped up February 17, 2016 Britain's bank bosses have warned that cost cutting measures will have to be ramped up as stunted revenues and low interest rates continue to take their toll on the sector. A survey of UK bank chiefs by PwC found that almost 70 per cent said they expect to implement a cost cutting scheme in the next [...]
Saudi-Russia oil deal doubtful as price stutters February 16, 2016 A deal announced between oil heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Russia to freeze production at January levels if other oil producing countries are to do the same has been dubbed “meaningless” by experts. Saudi, the de-facto leader of oil cartel Opec, has refused to enact a cut unless joined by Russia and the US who have both [...]
Metro Bank bows to market pressure, cuts share price ahead of planned market float February 16, 2016 Metro Bank, the London challenger, has been forced to lower the amount it’s hoping to raise through a market float by 20 per cent due to wild swings in bank share prices around Europe. The bank will now look to raise £400m in coming weeks, down from £500m, and cutting its share price at £20 from [...]
US growth and the risk of recession has replaced the China slowdown as biggest investor fear February 16, 2016 Fear over the US economy and risk of a recession has topped the deceleration of China’s economy as the biggest risk for investors, according to the latest Bank of America Merrill Lynch Fund Manager Survey. Global fund managers’ growth and profit expectations are both negative for the first time since July 2012. The survey also [...]
Jet firms take to European skies February 15, 2016 The private jet industry in the UK is picking up speed with new firms set to enter the market later this year. Jet financing firm Global Jet Capital and self styled Airbnb of the private jet market Stellar Labs will both launch in the UK in 2016 aiming to capitalise on growing demand for chartered jets. [...]
Audit watchdog’s new powers signal shift February 15, 2016 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is still dealing with the fallout from the financial crisis. The accountancy regulator has attracted criticism recently for its decision not to investigate KPMG over its role in the collapse of banking giant HBOS in 2008. Chief executive Stephen Haddrill is in the middle of drafting a response to the chairman [...]
Billions wiped from the value of the oil and gas industry February 15, 2016 The oil and gas industry has splurged £10bn over the past 12 months in an attempt to protect dividends, according to new research from trading house Banc De Binary. The value of cash and assets held by oil and gas companies listed on the London Stock Exchange has plummeted from £151.8bn this time last year [...]
