Labour mulls climate change finance crackdown as election looms November 3, 2019 The Labour party is considering measures to crack down on firms which invest in fossil fuels which include making the Bank of England (BoE) change its policy operations to avoid carbon bias. In an announcement which has raised concerns about “skewing” the BoE’s focus, Labour said it was also considering forcing banks to publish the [...]
Three problems at the top of new RBS boss Alison Rose’s to-do list November 1, 2019 Alison Rose begins life as the new boss of RBS today with her work cut out for her. In a letter to staff this morning, the RBS lifer set out her commitments, which included “a clear focus on shared success” and “investment in people”. But as the firm’s recent quarterly financial results demonstrated, there is [...]
Brexit stockpiling fails to save UK manufacturing from recession November 1, 2019 The UK manufacturing sector looked to be firmly stuck in recession as Brexit stockpiling could not prevent a sixth month of contraction in October, a closely followed survey found today. Jobs, new orders and factory ouput all fell last month, according to IHS Markit’s UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). Read more: Hong Kong falls [...]
Sajid Javid delays appointment of new Bank of England governor November 1, 2019 The eagerly-anticipated appointment of the new Bank of England governor has been pushed back until after the general election. Chancellor Sajid Javid has delayed the announcement of a successor to Mark Carney, who is leaving the role on Threadneedle Street at the end of January next year. Read more: BBC data breach reveals names of [...]
For Generation Insecurity, the British dream has turned sour November 1, 2019 My 14 year old son is in a band. He loves playing to his classmates and studying GCSE music. Bizarrely (for me), he’s quite into Queen and eighties songs, which I joke with him was the same stuff I was listening to when I was his age. Intergenerational humour apart, it got me thinking about [...]
Judgment imminent in Lloyds’ shareholders £600m financial crisis-era group action October 31, 2019 The long-awaited judgment in a financial crisis-era shareholder action against Lloyds Banking Group and five former directors of Lloyds TSB is expected imminently, according to people close to the case. The £600m claim focused on Lloyds TSB’s acquisition of HBOS in autumn 2008 at the height of the financial crisis. The claimant group of 300 [...]
De La Rue share price plunges as it issues profit warning October 30, 2019 De La Rue’s share price crumbled today after it warned investors that full-year profits would fall “significantly lower” than current market expectations. Britain’s former passport maker also warned that adjusted operating profit for its half-year to the end of September would only be in the low-to-mid single digits. Read more: De La Rue appoints turnaround [...]
The death of yields in six charts October 30, 2019 There has been a relentless downward move in global bond yields since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. This trend – underpinned by highly supportive central bank policies and stubbornly low inflation – has been a defining characteristic of the post-crisis world. Another defining trait of this period, and a landmark for financial markets, has been [...]
Care leavers deserve a chance to begin adulthood on firm footing October 30, 2019 We all remember the challenge of becoming an adult. Fresh out of school, college, or university, you are out there on your own – hunting for your first job, your first flat, and trying to make ends meet on your first pay cheques. My first taste of real adulthood came at age 22, straight out [...]
Pound climbs on General Election news but traders foresee rocky ride October 29, 2019 The pound jumped today after it became clear the Labour party would back a December General Election, but it has since settled back down as traders steeled themselves for a volatile six weeks. Read more: Labour to back PM’s call for December General Election Sterling has had an extremely rocky few months. It hit a [...]