Fyre Festival, influencers, and the CMA – why are regulators finally getting involved in the world of social media sponsorship? February 4, 2019 Social media influencers are back in the headlines, and as usual, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Late last month, the government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had told 16 high-profile celebrities – including models Alexa Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, musician Rita Ora, and YouTube star Zoe Sugg (better known as Zoella) [...]
Npower to dismiss nearly 15 per cent of its UK workforce as energy market bites January 31, 2019 British energy provider Npower has said it will cut almost 15 per cent of its UK workforce, as part of an initiative to reduce its operating costs. The company said the reductions would affect around 900 roles out of its 6,300 employees over the course of this year. It added that most of this number [...]
What are the UK’s most shorted stocks? January 29, 2019 Hedge funds made millions from short-selling Carillion shares after the construction firm collapsed a year ago. That’s hardly a surprise, but what’s telling is that many short-sellers were predicting its failure even before the company issued its first profit warning back in July 2017. Short-sellers borrow shares from other investors, typically large institutions like pension [...]
Former Virgin Money chief Jayne-Anne Gadhia hunts for investors in new tech startup January 28, 2019 The former head of challenger bank Virgin Money is to set up her own fintech startup, designed to save consumers money on their household bills. Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia has approached several investors regarding a new company called Snoop, which will take advantage of Open Banking rules to utilise data about customers' spending habits, according to reports [...]
Vodafone pauses installation of Huawei equipment in Europe as spying tensions mount January 25, 2019 Vodafone has said it will stop installing Huawei equipment in its network until there is greater clarity over whether Chinese authorities could use its products for spying. Chief executive Nick Read said the company would temporarily stop the installation of new Huawei equipment in its core telecoms infrastructure in Europe. Read more: Government under pressure to [...]
CMA orders bathroom services provider Rentokil Initial to dispense with services contracts in Cannon merger January 25, 2019 The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered bathroom services giant Rentokil Initial to sell off several large supply contracts as a condition of its merger with Cannon Hygiene, after deciding the deal would cause “higher prices or a worse deal for customers”. The watchdog ruled this morning the tie-up – between two of the three major suppliers [...]
Vodafone third quarter revenue slips amid fierce sector competition January 25, 2019 Vodafone today said it maintains its full-year guidance despite a decline in revenues in the third quarter as the firm struggles with increasing competition in the telecoms sector. The FTSE 100 firm reported revenue of €11bn (£9.5bn), down by €0.8bn on the same period the year before. Read more: Vodafone and O2 eye sale of phone [...]
British competition watchdog raises ‘serious concerns’ over Viagogo order January 24, 2019 Britain’s competition watchdog has said today it has “serious concerns” that Viagogo has not complied with a court order that forced the controversial ticket reseller to “overhaul” the way it does business. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) added that it “expects them to make any necessary changes without delay”, with Viagogo ordered to make immediate [...]
Audit watchdog should be scrapped ‘as swiftly as possible’ says Legal & General chair January 23, 2019 The government should act “as swiftly as possible” to abolish and replace the UK’s audit watchdog, MPs were told today. Sir John Kingman, who chaired a review into the operation of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), said the regulator’s senior leadership should be overhauled in the meantime. “I would like to see the government get [...]
FCA says UK firms need ‘clarity’ on cryptoassets as it consults on regulation January 23, 2019 The UK financial watchdog has called for further clarity in the regulation of cryptoassets, as it launches a consultation on guidance applicable to the wide sphere of crypto. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said firms will have a better understanding of whether their activities with cryptoassets such as bitcoin are compliant with regulation as a result of [...]