Hammerson seeks secondary Irish listing amid Brexit worries December 18, 2020 European shopping centre owner, Hammerson has sought admission to Dublin's stock exchange to maintain access to the European market.
Pound falls back from recent high amid Brexit doubts December 18, 2020 The pound has fallen back from a more than two-year high after post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU ran into trouble at a crucial juncture. Negotiations are now in a “serious situation,” according to a Downing Street spokesperson last night. They urged the EU to change its position “substantially”. In a separate call [...]
Are investors adjusting to the new normal? December 18, 2020 Potential for recovery following Covid-19 and trends which have accelerated as a result of it give many reasons for optimism heading into 2021 The list of reasons for investor uncertainty heading into 2021 remains long. A global pandemic. Lockdowns. Volatile markets. Political turbulence. Uncertainty over jobs and the economy. Record levels of government borrowing – [...]
Michel Barnier: ‘Just a few hours left’ to seal Brexit deal December 18, 2020 Michel Barnier has said there are “just a few hours” left to seal a deal with the UK, as he issued a stark warning to the European Parliament about Brexit talks. The EU’s chief negotiator said the possibility of a deal “is here”, but the path to secure it “is very narrow”. “It’s the moment of [...]
Barclays chair quits in boardroom shakeup December 18, 2020 Barclays UK chair Sir Ian Cheshire will step down at the start of next year, in a sudden departure after three years at the helm. In a statement, the company said: “With regret, Sir Ian has informed the group that he is unable to accommodate the increased time commitment and duration required to see through [...]
Consumer confidence jumps on back of vaccine news December 18, 2020 An influential survey into consumer confidence saw a significant spike on the back of positive Covid-19 vaccine news, but there remains some way to go before confidence returns to the wider economy. The Gfk Consumer Confidence tracker saw a 7-point jump in its overall index, to -26 in December from -33 the month previously, still [...]
Nation of beer drinkers: Brits spend extra £2.1bn on booze in lockdown December 18, 2020 Booze-drinking Brits spent an extra £2.1bn on alcoholic beverages this year as they stocked up on lager, wine and spirits while pubs were closed during lockdown. Despite its name, Corona was one of the lager brands to toast the largest growth, with sales up £68m compared to last year. Lager was the fastest growing drink [...]
Brexit talks in a ‘serious situation’ ahead of deadline December 17, 2020 Downing Street has said Brexit trade talks are in a “serious situation” following a call with the European Commission president. Following the call a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister underlined that the negotiations were now in a serious situation. Time was very short and it now looked very likely that agreement would not [...]
FCA cancels £205,000 of bonuses after LCF scandal report December 17, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has cancelled £205,000 worth of executive bonuses after a damning report found the watchdog had failed to properly regulate a collapsed firm. But FCA employees implicated in the report are now facing calls to pay back bonuses for previous years after an investigation found “significant gaps and weaknesses” in the [...]
Furlough scheme to be extended until April and loans to continue, too December 17, 2020 The Chancellor has confirmed today that the furlough scheme will be extended an extra month until the end of April 2021. The scheme had been intended to close in March, itself an extension from an original planned end date in the middle of 2020. The furlough programme pays 80 per cent towards wages of unworked [...]