What does the next decade have in store for UK fintech? December 20, 2019 A decade ago, the term “fintech” had barely been coined, and the financial services world referred to more staid terms like “financial technology”. High-growth startups focusing on the space were few and far between, and very few VCs had fintech on their investment radar. In parallel, the ecosystem was slowly being introduced to innovative startups [...]
Activism: an escape hatch for active fund managers? December 19, 2019 Active fund managers are like deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry is expanding its product range to all investment strategies and grabbing market share from the mutual fund sector. In an important milestone, in August 2019, passive US equity funds surpassed their active counterparts in assets under management [...]
The biggest tech breakthroughs of the last decade December 18, 2019 It is easy to forget, as we approach the end of not just 2019 but also the decade, just how far technology has developed over the past 10 years. To mark the end of the era, City A.M. asked several experts for what they think have been the biggest technological breakthroughs or advancements made in [...]
Opportunities in an evolving financial industry December 12, 2019 In today’s investment landscape, a paradigm shift is underway. Economic headwinds, ever-changing financial regulations, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and financial technology are transforming the industry. What clients want is evolving, too. Returns alone are not enough. Clients today are looking for asset managers who can meet a comprehensive set of needs and deliver greater value [...]
HSBC signs global deal with City fintech startup Bud December 11, 2019 HSBC is to ramp up its efforts on Open Banking, following a global partnership agreement signed today with London fintech startup Bud. The banking giant took a significant stake in Bud earlier this year, after the startup helped HSBC launch mobile banking app Artha through its First Direct challenger brand. The deal will initially see [...]
Changing of the guard: Google founders make way as tech giant gears up for new era December 4, 2019 Google’s announcement that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will step back from their top roles is, in some senses, a groundbreaking moment. Since starting the iconic search engine in a rented California garage in 1998, the pair have grown the firm into one of the world’s most valuable companies, turning themselves into two of [...]
Buzzfeed issued strike-off warning over late company accounts December 4, 2019 Buzzfeed is under fierce pressure from financial authorities for failing to produce its company accounts more than two months after the deadline. Government agency Companies House has lodged a proposal to strike Buzzfeed from the official register as its 2018 accounts, which were due by 30 September this year, have still not been submitted. Read [...]
The election could redraw the country and reshape the Tories November 29, 2019 Opinion polls don’t just report the state of play, they can help fashion what comes next. The huge YouGov survey of 100,000 voters that translated into a Tory majority of 68 was unusual not just because of its scale but because it analysed every constituency. Most polls take a small national sample and use that [...]
Russia’s Sberbank moves into driverless cars with joint venture November 28, 2019 Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender, is moving into driverless cars with a new investment in AI transport startup Cognitive Technologies. Read more: Uber partly to blame for driverless car death, says US watchdog The state-owned bank will take a 30 per cent stake in a new company, Cognitive Pilot, while Cognitive Technologies will take a 70 [...]
Ursula von der Leyen pledges action on artificial intelligence during first 100 days in office November 27, 2019 The European Commission’s incoming President Ursula von der Leyen has called for the EU to draw up rules to regulate the use of artificial intelligence during her first 100 days in charge. The German politician and her commission were coronated in the European Parliament today, winning 461 MEP votes in favour compared to 157 against. [...]