Ping An to vote for HSBC break-up at upcoming AGM – reports April 17, 2023 Ping An has thrown its weight behind proposals from investor Ken Lui to break up HSBC ahead of the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in early May, according to Reuters. The Chinese insurer will vote in favour of resolutions calling for the bank to lift its dividends and for it to provide regular updates on [...]
Stablecoins need ‘high quality’ backing to meet BoE’s standards, Cunliffe warns April 17, 2023 Stablecoins could improve efficiency in the payments sector but will need to be backed by “high quality and liquid assets” to meet the Bank of England’s regulatory standards, deputy governor Jon Cunliffe said today. In a wide ranging speech on the state of the payments sector, Cunliffe detailed the Bank’s work to ensure new forms [...]
FTSE 100 close: THG skyrockets 40 per cent while miners edge London index higher April 17, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a fresh week in muted fashion today, inched higher by investors snapping up shares in mining giants, while fashion firm THG skyrocketed more than 40 per cent on mounting takeover rumours. The capital’s premier index added 0.1 per cent to close at 7,879.52 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 [...]
Business groups ‘welcome’ maths focus to plug ‘skills gap’ April 17, 2023 Business groups say Rishi Sunak’s focus on maths is a “welcome” measure to plug key “skills gaps” as Britain goes for growth, despite concerns over a lack of teachers. The Prime Minister has unveiled plans to transform the UK’s approach to maths education, including an expert advisory group, maths hubs and a new primary teaching [...]
Exxon Mobil challenged by investors over climate goals ahead of AGM April 17, 2023 LGIM and CBIS have co-filed a shareholder resolution, calling on Exxon Mobil to provide more climate disclosures.
AA: Shareholders weigh up major sale of stake in roadside breakdown giant April 17, 2023 The AA’s shareholders are considering the sale of a significant stake in the £2.5bn breakdown specialists, as first reported by Sky News’ Mark Kleinmann. Towerbrook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus have hired Goldman Sachs to advise on the deal, which could result in three shareholders taking an equal slice of the company. Analysts told Sky [...]
Amazon UK workers’ strike continues – and there’s no end in sight April 17, 2023 Amazon workers are taking part in fresh strikes at a warehouse in Coventry in an ongoing dispute with the tech giant – which doesn’t recognise the union – over pay. GMB members are downing tools for three days from 16 to 18 April as they call for hourly pay to rise to £15. The union has [...]
Explainer: Where is all our aid money going? April 17, 2023 China might be close to overtaking us on yet one more thing: foreign aid. Or at least this is what David Cameron said over the weekend. The former prime minister warned China is expanding its influence all over the world by lending countries huge amounts of money. Cameron’s suggested solution is to reform multilateral development [...]
Open banking boost as regulators vow to support innovation and consumer protection April 17, 2023 Regulators have set out their plans for the next stage of open banking as they hope to push innovation and competition in the banking sector. Under proposals announced today, a new long-term regulatory framework will be established to secure the “existing achievements” of open banking and “unlock its future potential”. The FCA’s Sheldon Mills and [...]
How AI is proving a virtual nightmare for Google boss who admits having ‘sleepless nights’ April 17, 2023 Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence keeps him awake at night as he admitted society is not fully prepared for its advancement. In an interview with CBS’s Scott Pelley for the “60 minutes” programme, which aired on Sunday, Pichai said the technology could be harmful if it is not used [...]
