Insolvencies at fashion manufacturers jump on cocktail of cost pressures October 29, 2024 Insolvencies at UK fashion manufacturers have risen by nearly a quarter in the past year as a combination of supply and demand pressures has driven firms under while customers switch to pre-loved clothing. According to Forvis Mazars, the international tax and advisory firm, over 100 companies went bust in the year to July 2024, up [...]
Bosses scramble to sell shares amid fears of Budget capital gains tax raid October 29, 2024 UK executives have been “racing to sell shares” at a record rate as fears mount that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will raise capital gains tax at tomorrow’s Budget. Last week, directors sold £29.8m of their companies shares, while only buying £4.1m, leaving a net £25.7m of stocks sold. Meanwhile, over the last month, investors have sold [...]
Competition intensifies in Saudi’s surging insurance industry October 29, 2024 In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been building an insurance industry from scratch. In the process, the country has generated home-grown companies and attracted international giants such as Bupa to help cater to rising demand. So far, the expansion of insurance in the Kingdom has been dizzying. According to Saudi Arabia’s central bank (SAMA), in [...]
Keeping a check on AI Oliver Wyman’s CEO highlights the pitfalls of regulating AI October 29, 2024 AI leaders gathered in Riyadh in September for the Global AI Summit (GAIN). Hosted by the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority, GAIN 2024 explored themes such as generative AI, AI in urban life and the ethical governance of AI. Nick Studer, president and CEO of Oliver Wyman, who spoke on ‘AI governance in an interconnected [...]
Santander UK profit slides as analysts forecast £1.8bn motor finance hit October 29, 2024 Santander has revealed a sharp fall in its UK profit during the third quarter, while delaying the publication of more detailed figures as it digests a landmark motor finance court ruling in London.
Jonathan Reynolds ‘open to reviving China trade talks’ October 29, 2024 Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said he is “open to having a conversation” about reviving trade talks with China. The cabinet minister told Politico he was “certainly” prepared to discuss reopening the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO), which was set up to improve bilateral trade and investment between the two nations. It was [...]
Autumn Budget 2024: Minimum wage set for above inflation hike October 29, 2024 Firms could be set to face higher payroll costs as the minimum wage is reportedly set to increase by more than six per cent at Wednesday’s Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce an above inflation raise that is higher than was predicted last month, according to the Times newspaper. It will result in [...]
Investec downgrades ‘deeply underwhelming’ Martin Currie trust October 29, 2024 Investec has downgraded a Martin Currie-run investment trust due to its “deeply underwhelming” performance, arguing investors should sell out of the vehicle. The performance of the £234.5m Martin Currie Global Portfolio has been “concerning” and its attempts to keep its stock price up are “clearly not sustainable,” warned Investec analysts Alan Brierley and Ben Newell. [...]
Housing market continues to strengthen as mortgage rates fall October 29, 2024 New figures from the Bank of England showed that 65,600 new mortgages were approved in September, the highest figure since August 2022.
London jobs market hit hard due to ‘frenzy of Budget speculation’ October 29, 2024 Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at BusinessLDN, said that the "frenzy of Budget speculation" was weighing on employers' hiring intentions.
