Coronavirus: How safe is the post-lockdown commute to work? August 4, 2020 After more than four months of lockdown Londoners are beginning to return to the office as public transport operators take measures to make the once-daily commute as safe as possible from coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave employers “more discretion” from 1 August to bring back their staff if it was safe to do so. [...]
Black British Business Awards announces 2020 finalists August 4, 2020 The Black British Business Awards has announced its 2020 finalists, who have been selected for their outstanding business talent. The award recognises rising stars and leaders across industries, including financial services and professional services. The Black British Business Awards say the finalists have been picked as they “embody the Black British community’s ability to prevail, [...]
Three-quarters of London firms welcome staff back to offices August 4, 2020 London firms are starting to bring their staff back to the workplace after more than four months of remote working due to the pandemic. A survey of 100 business leaders conducted by London First reveals a phased return of staff is underway for three quarters of London firms. The survey, which was carried out last [...]
HSBC profit plummets due to coronavirus pandemic August 3, 2020 HSBC warned warned its bad debt charges could soar to $13bn this year as the bank reported a sharp drop in profit in the first half of 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The figures The lender’s share price fell 4.63 per cent to 326.25p this morning as it announced that profit [...]
Bank customers may need longer-term crisis support, says FCA July 31, 2020 The City watchdog has said Britain’s lenders may need to consider introducing “sustainable forbearance” for customers who will struggle with loan repayments after coronavirus relief measures end in the autumn. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a “call for input” to determine what measures may be needed once repayment holidays introduced during the pandemic [...]
Natwest sinks to a loss as it sets aside £2.9bn for bad loans July 31, 2020 Natwest sunk to a pre-tax loss of £770m in the first half of the year as it set aside billions of pounds in anticipation of loans turning sour due to the coronavirus pandemic. The banking group – known as RBS until earlier this month – took a hit of £2.86bn in the first half to [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 tumbles as US GDP blow hits Wall Street July 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 slumped below the 6,000 mark after data showed the US economy suffered its biggest contraction on record amid the coronavirus pandemic and banks’ second-half results disappointed investors. The UK’s blue-chip index slid 2.9 per cent to 5,951 points in afternoon trading. The FTSE 250, comprised of slightly smaller firms, fell 1.8 per [...]
Lloyds swings to loss as it sets aside extra £2.4bn for bad loans July 30, 2020 UK banking giant Lloyds swung to a £600m pre-tax loss for the first half of the year today as coronavirus cost it an extra £2.4bn. The provision for loan losses was bigger than the £1.5bn analysts had anticipated. It took total provisions for the first half of the year to £3.8bn. Read more: Barclays braces [...]
The City View: Surrey cricket chief Richard Gould July 29, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Today Andy Silvester is joined by Richard Gould, chief executive of Surrey County Cricket Club. Richard talks about the business of sport, the trial events at the Kia Oval and the future of cricket as it looks to attract new audiences. Andy also looks at Barclays results and Jes [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 rises as investors eye Fed decision July 29, 2020 The FTSE 100 hung on to gains and US stocks rose as investors eyed potential stimulus from the US Congress and Federal Reserve and a torrent of earnings reports delivered mixed results. London’s blue-chip index rose 0.1 per cent to 6,135 points. The FTSE 250 of smaller firms fell 0.1 per cent, however. Read more: [...]