Shot in the Arm for the City as £24bn mega-deal is agreed July 19, 2016 British tech giant Arm Holdings yesterday agreed to a £24.3bn takeover by telecoms group Softbank, in a move that would go down as the second largest outbound Japanese deal on record. Softbank has pounced for the Cambridge-based chip-maker following a sharp drop in the value of the pound, largely prompted by last month’s vote to leave [...]
BT Sport price increase will place “huge pressure” on pubs July 14, 2016 Pub groups have hit out at BT Sport's 8.9 per cent subscription price rise, announced yesterday, that will be enacted from 1 September. BT's move follows a 10 per cent price rise from Sky last month. The average monthly price for BT Sport for an independent pub will increase by £35 a month to £430, excluding [...]
How artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer technology and blockchain are changing the insurance industry forever July 14, 2016 Just as fintech is transforming the banking world, “insurtech” has set its sights on the insurance industry. There are firms like Trov, which provides insurance on-demand and enables consumers to catalogue insured belongings. Buzzmove uses home removals data to create a new distribution model for insurance – people are more likely to renew or buy [...]
Aberdeen property fund is open for business again July 13, 2016 Aberdeen has re-opened its property fund, after it suspended trading due to heavy outflows, draining the fund's cash reserves. The fund was one of six that closed after investors scrambled to get their cash back due to uncertainty about UK property after the Brexit vote. Read more: Property fund to sell Oxford Street property to meet [...]
Welcome back: Aberdeen Asset Management lifts suspension on property fund July 13, 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management has today lifted the suspension on its property fund, one week after several asset managers put the brakes on their funds. Last week, Aberdeen announced that it would be suspending trades on its Aberdeen UK Property Fund and the Aberdeen UK Property Feeder Unit Trust to protect the value of the fund for [...]
At the close: Sterling surge holds down the FTSE 100 July 12, 2016 The FTSE 100 closed flat this evening after ending yesterday's session at an 11-month high. The blue-chip index closed at 6,680.69 points, down just two points and flat in percentage terms. The end to yesterday's rally was put down to sterling being on course for its best performance against the yen in over three years after Theresa May [...]
Bank of England was warned over property fund trading suspensions after Brexit July 12, 2016 The Bank of England was warned that property funds could be suspended in the aftermath of a Brexit vote. The Financial Policy Committee (FPC), which is chaired by BoE governor Mark Carney, was briefed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that the “extent of outflows from these funds and on the possibility that funds could suspend [...]
Investor confidence index drops to four-year low after Brexit vote July 11, 2016 Investor confidence has hit a four-year low after the EU referendum result, according to one index. The Hargreaves Lansdown Investor Confidence Index experienced its sharpest monthly fall in five years at the end of June. The index fell from 92 points in May to 67 on 30 June, its lowest value since May 2012, a [...]
Wimbledon prize money: Andy Murray and Milos Raonic go head-to-head for £2m earnings boost July 10, 2016 Both Andy Murray and Milos Raonic can pocket the biggest prize of their career to date with victory in the Wimbledon men's singles final today. This year's champion will receive £2m, making it the richest men's final in the competition's history. The loser gets to console himself with a £1m pay cheque — the first time the All England Club has offered the runner-up a seven [...]
Asset managers close the gate on £15bn-£20bn funds July 7, 2016 Post-referendum reverberated through the City yesterday as several more property funds were forced to shut the gate on their investors, while the value of the pound languished below $1.30. Six companies’ funds, with an estimated value of £15bn to £20bn, have been frozen this week as fears over the consequences of the UK’s vote to leave [...]