UK services sector growth slowed by coronavirus March 4, 2020 Growth in the UK services sector slowed in February as coronavirus led to cancelled bookings and delayed projects, a survey has shown. Nonetheless, the sector had its second-best month since September 2018 as a rise in consumer confidence after the December General Election and Britain’s exit from the EU led to a rebound in domestic [...]
MPs urge Johnson to ditch Huawei deal March 4, 2020 MPs will today urge the government to drop Huawei’s involvement with the UK’s 5G network, amid growing concerns surrounding the Chinese firm. A cross-party group of around 40 MPs will today call on the Prime Minister to pedal back on his controversial decision to grant the Chinese state-subsidised firm permission to supply equipment to more [...]
Andrew Bailey urged to keep climate focus at Bank of England March 3, 2020 Incoming Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey must maintain Threadneedle Street’s concern with climate change after he takes over this month, more than 101 economists, scientists and industry leaders have said in a letter. Signatories to the letter, organised by left-leaning research and campaign groups, include former UK chief scientific adviser Sir David King and [...]
Robert Walters shares fall on coronavirus profit warning March 3, 2020 Economic bellwether recruiter Robert Walters’ shares sank today as it warned 2020 profit will miss expectations due to the coronavirus outbreak. The recruitment agency’s shares fell seven per cent to 494p after the coronavirus profit warning compounded a dire 2019 filled with Brexit and economic uncertainties. Profit before tax slipped three per cent to £47.4m [...]
UK PMI: Construction expands at fastest rate in over a year March 3, 2020 UK construction output rose at its fastest rate in over a year in February, a survey showed today, as new orders picked up at a fast clip. The IHS Markit/Cips construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) jumped to 52.6 in February, up from 48.4 in January. A score of above 50 indicates expansion and it was [...]
No fly zone: As coronavirus fears grow, airlines must brace for the worst March 3, 2020 One of last month’s more outlandish news stories was the report that the coronavirus outbreak had caused an upsurge in private jet inquiries. More wealthy travellers than ever, it seems, are willing to pay thousands of pounds an hour for a plane unto themselves, in an attempt to dodge the risk of getting infected. The [...]
Deal-makers bullish on M&A prospects for the year March 2, 2020 Deal-makers are more bullish about prospects for M&A and capital raising this year than they were at the start of 2019. According to figures from Refinitiv, 47 per cent of deal-makers anticipate M&A volume growth, with an average predicted growth of 4.7 per cent. Asian dealers are more bullish than their American and EMEA counterparts, [...]
Chancellor Rishi Sunak tells EU: Stick to June timeline for City equivalence decision March 2, 2020 UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has told the European Union to stick to a June deadline to work out which parts of Britain’s financial system will be deemed equivalent after Brexit. British banks, trading platforms and insurers are hoping to be granted access to EU markets under a so-called equivalence system, under which the bloc would [...]
City workers snap up central London homes as Brexit uncertainty fades March 2, 2020 The number of City workers snapping up property in prime central London areas surged last year as the uncertainty surrounding Brexit began to clear, according to the latest research. The percentage of buyers from the financial services sector buying properties worth more than £2m jumped to 34.6 per cent of total sales in 2019, the [...]
UK-US trade deal set to devalue UK’s financial services sector March 2, 2020 The government has admitted a free trade deal with the US is likely to lead to a drop in the value of the UK’s financial services sector, as other parts of the UK economy begin to expand. Number 10 this morning published its negotiating mandate for talks with Washington. Those discussions, expected to be spearheaded [...]