Lloyds Bank profit poised to be held back by setting aside millions to cope with cost of living defaults February 20, 2023 A build up of reserves to cope with an expected jump in loan defaults and a slow down in the mortgage market is expected to have held back profits at Lloyds Bank last year, results out on Wednesday could show. Britain’s biggest mortgage lender is poised to be the latest bank to underwhelm markets in [...]
UK risks missing energy goals due to poor investment climate, industry body warns February 20, 2023 Britain’s climate targets and energy security goals are at risk from its poor investment environment, warns Energy UK.
Concerns raised with EU’s new clearing regulations as it aims to lure market to bloc February 20, 2023 Experts have warned that financial institutions operating in the clearing market are likely to face increasing costs as the EU brings in new regulations to grow its domestic clearing market. Under proposals announced in December, central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs) – an institution that helps manage the risks that might arise if one counterparty defaults [...]
BP and Shell: Will the mega profits of energy giants power our greener future? February 20, 2023 BP and Shell have pledged to ramp up renewable spending to meet the UK's climate and energy security goals, but can we trust them?
Tech sector needs a ‘shot in the arm’ to make UK’s Silicon Valley dreams come true, industry says February 20, 2023 Britain’s ambition to create its own Silicon Valley is achievable but only if the government implements a long-term strategy to boost domestic and foreign confidence in the country’s tech sector, industry experts have warned. Last month, business secretary Grant Shapps set out plans to create a “Silicon Valley with a British edge”. Trade association techUK [...]
Calling the consultants’ bluff: The Big Con author on reining in the power of consulting firms February 20, 2023 Rosie Collington is seeking to call the consulting sector’s bluff. The UCL researcher is on a mission to challenge the notion that “consultancies exist on the scale and scope they do today because they create value in the economy.” Collington — one author of ‘The Big Con: How the consulting industry weakens our businesses, infantilizes our governments [...]
Audit reform plans ‘ready to go’ but government delays now holding UK back, accountancy chief warns February 20, 2023 The UK government’s failure to overhaul the country’s audit sector risks seeing Britain lose its position as a world-leading investment hub, the head of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has warned. ICAEW chief Michael Izza told City A.M. continued delays to the UK’s planned reshaping of the country’s audit sector could see foreign investors [...]
A REIT mess: Home REIT execs to be grilled on takeover approach and shoddy housing at AGM February 20, 2023 Beleaguered housing investor Home REIT is set to be grilled by investors today over the state of its finances, its dilapidated property portfolio and the suitability of a recent takeover approach from a firm with links to its former investment advisor. The troubled former FTSE 250 firm is due to face shareholders at its annual [...]
House prices rose just £14 last month as Bank of England rate hikes chill demand February 20, 2023 UK house prices rose by just £14 last month indicating possible buyers are turning their noses up at sellers slapping huge tickets on their homes, new figures out today reveal. The average asking price for a home in the UK came in at £362,452, making last month’s increase the smallest between January and February since [...]
Could financial services dealmaking rebound this year? EY thinks it might February 20, 2023 The value of dealmaking among UK financial services firms could rebound this year after a sharp slump in 2022, as volatile valuations settle and private equity firms swoop back into the market, EY has predicted. The predictions come after the total value of deals in the UK fell 40 per cent last year to £15.2bn [...]
