UK banks’ profits surge past French rivals for first time since before Brexit vote July 4, 2022 Profits at Britain’s banks have topped their French counterparts for the first time since before the Brexit vote, reveals a fresh study published today. The UK’s largest lenders posted pre-tax profits of $55.1bn (£45.6bn) last year, slightly higher than the $54.8bn (£45.3bn) registered by French banks, according to The Banker’s annual top 1,000 world bank [...]
Sainsbury’s and M&S walk into shareholder storm over minimum living wage versus bumper bonuses July 4, 2022 As activists mobilise in the first shareholder resolution of its kind, supermarket giant Sainsbury’s will be put under pressure this week to pay all staff and contracted workers the national living wage. Responsible investment campaign group ShareAction is driving the experimental motion at the supermarket giant’s annual general meeting on Thursday 7 July. Legal & [...]
Sainsbury’s and M&S walk into shareholder storm over minimum living wage versus bumper bonuses July 1, 2022 Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s will be put under pressure next week to pay all staff and contracted workers the national living wage, as activists mobilise in the first shareholder resolution of its kind. Responsible investment campaign group ShareAction is driving the experimental motion at the supermarket giant’s annual general meeting on Thursday 7 July. Legal & [...]
No 10 moves towards VAT cuts for millions of Brits as cost of living crisis rages July 1, 2022 Downing Street is proposing to reduce value-added tax in an effort to ease the cost of living. The Prime Minister’s chief of staff Steve Barclay suggested reducing the 20% headline rate of tax temporarily, The Times reported on Thursday. He said the temporary cut would bring down the tax bill for millions across the UK [...]
Barclays fights cost of living crisis with £1,200 pay rise for 35,000 employees June 30, 2022 Barclays is giving 35,000 of its UK-based staff a £1,200 pay rise to tackle the cost of living. The banking giant will provide this salary increase to customer-facing, branch, and junior support workers from 1 August. “Barclays will continue to monitor the economic situation globally and consider our approach to pay in each country in [...]
‘I’m left wondering what price The Hundred franchises could one day fetch’ June 30, 2022 “What does Ed Warner know about tennis?” What indeed? My critique last week of the Lawn Tennis Association’s performance drew this feisty query in the Sport inc. comment section from Tom (no surname provided). It also garnered a response column in City A.M. from the LTA’s CEO, Scott Lloyd. Both Tom (no surname provided) and [...]
Wise profit leaps as news of fintech chief’s FCA tax probe settles June 28, 2022 Fintech giant Wise today revealed profits hit £371.9m last year on the back of a surge in revenues and customer growth. The London-listed fintech said gross profit rose 43 per cent on 2021 levels while revenues topped £559.9m, up a third on last year. Customer numbers meanwhile hit 4.6m in the last quarter of 2022 [...]
Graduates set to enter UK’s strongest job market in years as starting salaries soar June 27, 2022 Graduates are set to enter the strongest job market Britain has seen in years, on the back of surging graduate salaries and a major increase in the number of graduate jobs. Graduate salaries are up seven per cent compared to a year ago, while the number of graduate job vacancies is up 59 per cent [...]
Barclays makes major lending push with £2.3bn deal for Kensington Mortgage Company June 24, 2022 In a major push to broaden its lending offering, banking giant Barclays said this morning it has agreed a deal worth around £2.3bn to buy specialist lender Kensington Mortgage Company. Barclays said the acquisition will allow it to offer more mortgage options to the self-employed and people who have multiple or variable incomes. The bank [...]
The bear market story and what next – in six charts June 23, 2022 It’s been the worst start to a year for markets since the Great Depression. We tell the story so far in six charts. Like a bear with a sore head, many investors probably wish they had stayed in hibernation in 2022. It has been a brutal year so far, the worst since the Great Depression [...]