ECB: Record-low interest rates causing ‘excessive risk-taking’ November 20, 2019 Record-low interest rates in the Eurozone have led to “excessive risk-taking in some sectors” which could threaten financial stability, the European Central Bank (ECB) has warned. The ECB defended low rates in its latest financial stability report, however, saying they were necessary to support economic activity in the struggling Eurozone. Read more: ECB warned over [...]
Investors underwhelmed by Aviva’s restructuring plans November 20, 2019 Shares in Aviva slipped on Wednesday after the insurer announced plans to restructure its business and sell off its Hong Kong division in a bid to revive investor interest in the group. The insurance company will simplify its business structure into five operating divisions and sell its stake in Hong Kong business, called Blue, to co-investor [...]
Three more companies ditch sponsorship of Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace scheme November 19, 2019 Three more companies said they would no longer support Prince Andrew’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace, a day after KPMG jumped ship. International banking giant Standard Chartered was the first to pull the plug. A spokesman confirmed: “We won’t be renewing the sponsorship when it ends in February.” Read more: Corporate sponsors look to desert Prince Andrew’s [...]
Lloyd’s of London to put up posters in City pubs in bid to tackle culture problems November 19, 2019 Lloyd’s of London is targeting the insurance industry’s bustling pubs and cafes as part of a company campaign to tackle harassment and misconduct. The historic insurance marketplace will put up banners and posters around EC3 following a swathe of misconduct allegations that have rocked its reputation. Read more: Lloyd’s of London sets out electronic modernisation [...]
Boris Johnson postpones corporation tax cut November 18, 2019 The Conservatives have shelved plans to cut corporation tax from 19 per cent to 17 per cent. Boris Johnson made the announcement at the CBI conference in London this morning. Read more: Sajid Javid will remain chancellor if Conservatives win the election He said the change had been made to free up funding for the [...]
Boris Johnson to woo businesses with extensive tax breaks November 18, 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today offer British companies a series of tax cuts and breaks as he seeks to mend his relationship with the country’s firms. Read more: Boris Johnson’s Conservative party opens up 17-point poll lead In a speech to the annual CBI conference in London Johnson will pledge to cut the taxes [...]
To tackle the challenges of our age, UK and EU finance firms must work together November 18, 2019 The economy is a hot topic this election campaign, but one issue which is attracting little attention so far is the value and significance of financial and professional services. According to new data from the Office for National Statistics, the UK exported £82bn of financial services last year, up £4bn on 2017. This gives us [...]
CBI: Labour pledges could “crack the foundations of the economy” November 18, 2019 The head of Britain’s biggest business group warned yesterday that Jeremy Corbyn’s policies could “crack the foundations of the economy” at the start of a week which holds the potential to define the upcoming General Election. Carolyn Fairbairn, head of the CBI, told Sky News that business leaders are asking “who’s next” after the “bolt [...]
TSB’s IT boss ‘kept board in dark’ ahead of tech meltdown November 17, 2019 TSB Bank’s head of IT reportedly failed to warn board members about “shortcomings” with the testing of a new technology system days before it suffered a huge meltdown. TSB is facing a lengthy investigation by City law firm Slaughter and May into the botched rollout of a new IT system that caused nearly 2m customers [...]
Softbank-backed fintech Oneconnect chooses New York over Hong Kong for IPO November 14, 2019 Oneconnect, the fintech arm of Chinese financial conglomerate Ping An, has chosen New York over Hong Kong for the launch of its initial public offering (IPO). The company, which is backed by Softbank, filed a prospectus for an IPO on Wednesday and plans to list its shares on NASDAQ. Read more: Alibaba poised to launch [...]