Exclusive: Former Portland boss launches new City comms firm January 4, 2021 The former head of Portland’s financial PR division has launched a new communications firm aimed at providing bespoke advice for City businesses. Steffan Williams, who left Portland at the end of 2020, has teamed up with fellow public relations guru Louise Nicolson to start a boutique consultancy based in London. Williams Nicolson has so far [...]
UK fundraising hits ten-year high as listed companies scramble for cash January 4, 2021 Fundraising by London-listed businesses reached its highest level in a decade last year as the pandemic drove companies to raise money on public markets. 2020 saw the value of secondary equity raisings on the London Stock Exchange nearly double from £14.5bn in 2019 to £8.8bn in 2020, according to new research by Pinsent Masons. In [...]
Confusion risk: the next frontier January 4, 2021 When people talk about the frontiers of FinTech, they usually mean new technologies or processes; something that changes the way we do things and causes wonderment. Usually, the last thing they think about is legal and regulatory issues. As 2021 dawns, this is going to change. Except perhaps the lack of wonderment about regulation. New [...]
Stars in their eyes: PSA and Fiat shareholders approve mega-merger January 4, 2021 Shareholders in Peugeot-owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) have today approved the mega-merger of the two firms, a deal which will create the world’s fourth-largest auto firm. The new entity, called Stellantis, will comprise 14 different brands, including FCA’s Fiat, Maserati and US-focused Jeep, Dodge and Ram to PSA’s Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and DS. Stellantis [...]
Divorce Day: Women more likely to waive pension rights January 4, 2021 Women are more likely to waive their rights to a partner’s pension as part of a divorce, according to new Divorce Day research. The first working Monday of the year has been dubbed ‘Divorce Day’, traditionally the day family lawyers see a spike in couples filing for divorce. The pressure of home working, home schooling [...]
Scotland set to go into Covid lockdown from midnight January 4, 2021 Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Scotland will go into a Covid lockdown from midnight tonight for the rest of the month, in what is likely a sign of things to come for England. Sturgeon said the new measures would be “similar to the lockdown of March last year” and could be extended past the end [...]
Investment body proposes ‘rebranding’ of standard listings January 4, 2021 The City’s leading investment body has proposed an overhaul of London’s standard listing category as the Treasury looks to revamp public listing rules. The former British commissioner to the EU Lord Hill is heading up a government-backed review into rules governing public listings in a bid to lure tech giants to the City. The City [...]
Google workers to form union after string of protests January 4, 2021 Hundreds of Google employees in the US have formed a union, marking a rare example of organisation in Silicon Valley. More than 200 staff members have signed up to the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), which also represents other companies owned by Google’s parent group. The union, which is supported by the Communications Workers of America, [...]
Where is Jack Ma? Chinese billionaire ‘missing’ after criticising Beijing January 4, 2021 Speculation has been mounting over the whereabouts of Chinese tech billionaire Jack Ma, who has not been seen in public for two months. Ma, who founded ecommerce behemoth Alibaba, hit the headlines in October when he made a speech criticising China’s financial regulators and state banks. The tycoon was reprimanded by Beijing and the $34bn [...]
Ladbrokes owner Entain rejects £8bn MGM takeover bid January 4, 2021 The owner of British betting company Ladbrokes has rejected an £8bn takeover approach by US casino giant MGM. Entain, which also owns betting and gambling brands such as Coral, Bwin and Partypoker, confirmed the offer this morning but said it “significantly undervalues the company and its prospects”. It added that it had asked MGM to [...]
