Barclays cuts bonus pool as profits tumble eight per cent on £500m provisions for loan defaults February 15, 2023 Barclays performed worse than expected in the final quarter of 2022, as higher expenses and an increase in bad loan provisions weighed on performance, leading to a £200m bonus cut for top staff. Profit fell in the quarter after the bank set aside £498m in impairment costs in case of bad loans, compared to a [...]
What now for Standard Chartered, and why is the bank still a takeover target? February 15, 2023 Standard Chartered found itself the target of takeover talks last week, after Bloomberg reported that First Abu Dhabi Bank was ready to make an offer once the cooling off period from its last offer, which had been just weeks earlier in January, had passed. The rumours were quickly quashed by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), [...]
Sir Frederick Barclay: Veteran due at High Court in latest round of money fight with ex wife February 13, 2023 Retired businessman Sir Frederick Barclay is due back at the High Court in the latest round of a fight over money with his ex-wife. A judge ordered Sir Frederick, 88, to hand Lady Hiroko Barclay lump sums totalling £100 million in May 2021 following the breakdown of their 34-year marriage. At the time, Sir Jonathan [...]
UK banks set to report record profits of £37bn beating pre-financial crisis highs February 13, 2023 The UK’s top banks are set to unveil record profits in the next two weeks after sharp interest rate hikes boosted the lenders’ coffers last year. The big five FTSE 100 banks – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Standard Chartered – could post cumulative pre-tax profits of £37.4bn as they reveal their earnings for 2022, [...]
Tech Nation lines up potential buyers for assets as closure looms February 12, 2023 Start-up group Tech Nation has reportedly lined up a host of potential bidders for its assets as it prepares to permanently close its doors at the end of March.
New innovation department could be a ‘gear change’ for tech growth, industry chiefs say February 7, 2023 The creation of a new government department for technology and innovation could be a “gear change” for the growth in the UK’s tech sector and represents a “significant” boost for UK innovation, tech chiefs said today.
FTSE 100 close: BP propels London index higher after posting record £23bn profit February 7, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was boosted by investors piling into oil giant BP , which announced its highest ever full year profits of £23bn last year. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.36 per cent to close at 7,864.72 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
Bank chiefs hit back at accusations of profiteering on higher interest rates February 7, 2023 Chief executives from the UK’s four largest lenders today hit back at accusations from MPs that they were too quick to charge customers more interest on their mortgages without offering higher rates on savings accounts. The bank chiefs were asked why interest rates on instant savings accounts remain around one per cent while the Bank [...]
House prices are poised to slide in 2023 but straight into the hands of the lucky few February 7, 2023 There’s a pretty wild variety of house price predictions doing the rounds. Capital Economics have forecast they could fall 12 per cent, while experts at property search site Zoopla are a bit more optimistic. The consensus seems to be somewhere around a six per cent fall in 2023. One thing is certain: house prices are [...]
Retail experts warn of ‘challenging’ months ahead as sales growth slows February 7, 2023 Senior retail figures have warned that the coming months will be “challenging” for the sector, after sales slowed over January, falling below the three-month average growth of 5.2 per cent to 4.2 per cent Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive at British Retail Consortium (BRC), said consumer confidence remains “stubbornly low” and looming rises in household [...]