Be afraid: Market volatility and the fear index are on the rise October 14, 2016 After a surprisingly quiet summer, nerves have returned to the financial markets and volatility is on the rise. In the UK, the FTSE 100 has moved by more than 0.5 per cent on 10 of the last 13 days and sterling has suffered some chunky jolts back-and-forth, often crashing through multiple resistance points in single trading sessions. [...]
The “forgotten middle” is essential for creating Britain’s truly digital workforce October 13, 2016 The pace of innovation in technology is as exciting as it can be daunting. While the "digital native" generation seems to have little trouble keeping up with new tech developments, a lack of investment in digital skills is fostering a society of "digital consumers" rather than "digital creators". Last week, secretary for culture, media and sport Karen Bradley [...]
City Moves for 13 October 2016 | Who’s switching jobs October 13, 2016 GLAS GLAS, the leading independent provider of finance administration services, has appointed Joe Knight to spearhead the expansion of the firm’s direct lending platform. Joe will have responsibility for business development and developing strategic relationships with GLAS’ existing direct lending client base. The move comes as funds increasingly replace banks in the lower to middle [...]
Barclays ditches more of its non-core assets in Italy October 12, 2016 Barclays has today agreed to sell a portfolio of salary secured loans, worth around £260m, in Italy to IBL Banca. The final sale is still subject to regulatory approvals but is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2017. The sale will also reduce the bank's non-core risk weighted assets by roughly £170m. "Last week we announced agreements to [...]
Germany wants Deutsche Bank DoJ fine wrapped up ASAP, as lender reaches settlement with SEC on another issue October 12, 2016 Deutsche Bank's investors are not the only ones who want a swift settlement on the US Department of Justice fine, as German officials have today spoken out calling for a deal to be done. The German lender is currently facing a potential penalty of $14bn (£11.5bn) for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities. Many had hoped chief executive John [...]
Banks’ profitability to be hit by Brexit fears over risky assets October 11, 2016 Market volatility will sap the efforts of Europe's biggest banks to offload their riskiest assets, and continue to drag on their profitability, a new study has warned. Moody's said this morning that the five largest investment banks – Barclays, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, RBS and UBS – will have to accept discount prices for so-called [...]
Bob Diamond takes interim chairman role at Africa-focused banking firm Atlas Mara October 11, 2016 Former Barclays boss Bob Diamond has been appointed interim chairman of African banking firm Atlas Mara. He will step in to the role when current chairman Arnold Ekpe stands down on 1 December. "It has been a privilege to serve as chairman of Atlas Mara," Ekpe said. "What the team has achieved in establishing and [...]
City Moves for 11 October 2016 | Who’s switching jobs October 11, 2016 Covington Lord Francis Maude, the former UK minister for trade and investment in Prime Minister David Cameron’s government, has joined Covington as a senior adviser in the firm’s public policy and government affairs practice.With a political career spanning almost 40 years, Lord Maude has held a number of high profile government positions, including financial secretary [...]
Deutsche Bank drops after CEO fails to settle $14bn lawsuit October 10, 2016 Shares in Deutsche Bank have slid this morning after the troubled German lender failed to strike a deal with the US Department of Justice to settle a $14bn (£11.3bn) fine. The bank dropped as much as three per cent in early morning trading, before recovering to stand down 0.9 per cent at €11.98 a share. The rest of [...]
This is Me: Let’s talk about mental health to end the stigma in the City October 10, 2016 Today may be World Mental Health Day, but if you’re an employer, or indeed an employee, mental health should always be top of your agenda. Stress and poor mental health in the workplace are commonplace. Last week, a survey by Business in the Community and YouGov, supported by Mind, revealed that 62 per cent of [...]