The Autumn Statement contained some significant wins for business and the City November 29, 2015 George bails himself out” was the front page headline of this very paper last Thursday as businesses up and down the country digested the impact of the Autumn Statement. While the U-turn on tax credits dominated much of the coverage, there was a lot of content announced by the chancellor from the despatch box that [...]
AB InBev looking to head off the regulator by selling off SABMiller beer brands November 29, 2015 Anheuser-Busch InBev is looking to avoid a tussle with the regulator by selling off SABMiller’s Peroni and Grolsch brands, it’s being reported. This month AB InBev made a formal offer to buy rival SABMiller for £44 a share. The announcement comes after months of negotiations, and several extended deadlines from UK regulators. The tie up, [...]
Breaking old habits could save you thousands on international transfers November 26, 2015 Our financial affairs are exposed to many variables. Recent stock market movements have certainly served as a good reminder of this fact. Today, as increasing numbers of us conduct both personal and business transactions abroad, foreign exchange markets provide an added element of financial uncertainty. But while the currency market can be volatile, there are [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s speech transcript in full including stamp duty, business rates and corporation tax announcements November 25, 2015 Mr Speaker, this Spending Review delivers on the commitment we made to the British people that we would put security first. To protect our economic security, by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. To protect our national security, by defending our country’s interests abroad and keeping our [...]
Why Japan’s fintech startups are turning to London November 24, 2015 There are a few major reasons why I decided to start my business in London instead of Tokyo. Firstly, the UK’s fintech scene is open, fairer and more equal and there’s many opportunities to network and engage with the community in London. All of these factors are contributing to greater competition, creating more synergy and [...]
Why good governance is now a key investment differentiator November 23, 2015 In a recent Aberdeen Asset Management study conducted among 300 global financial decision-makers, governance was found to be an integral factor when selecting and analysing investments. Almost 90 per cent of respondents considered effective governance to be a critical driver of investment performance. That governance should lie at the heart of investment decision-making is [...]
House of Lords select committee questions Google over attitude towards competition November 23, 2015 Representatives from Google were questioned today by a House of Lords select committee, including about whether the technology giant’s search engine market prominence gave it an unfair level of control over the access of online content. Adam Cohen, head of competition and economy policy for EMEA at Google, and Jon Steinberg, external relations manager, EMEA, were giving [...]
Npower could be sold off by parent company German utility RWE November 21, 2015 German utility company RWE could sell off Npower if it can't find a way to turn the struggling business around. Bernhard Guenther, RWE's chief financial officer, told Reuters during an interview that it will take at least until 2017 to return the British energy firm to profit, and investors are questioning whether it's worth holding onto. "We're not [...]
Despite emerging market turbulence UK assets under management are set to reach a record £7.4 trillion in 2015 November 19, 2015 UK assets under management are set to reach a record £7.44 trillion by the end of 2015, well above the pre-recession peak. Funds managed in the UK are predicted to increase by nine per cent this year, the seventh successive year of growth, according to data from TheCityUK, which represents a slight slow-down from the [...]
Financial Conduct Authority launches probe into competition among asset managers November 18, 2015 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched an investigation into competition among asset managers, it said today. The study will look into value for money among both institutional and retail asset managers, as well as looking at whether asset managers can control costs "along the value chain", and whether investment consultants have an effect on [...]