US factory orders fall in September as trade war bites November 4, 2019 US factories suffered a steeper-than-expected fall in orders in September, survey data has shown, suggesting the country’s manufacturing sector is still being held back by the US-China trade war. Read more: US Fed lowers rates but signals it is done cutting Goods orders in the manufacturing sector fell 0.6 per cent last month compared to [...]
Insurance giant AIG fights back in third quarter results November 1, 2019 A huge drop in catastrophe losses propelled insurer American International Group (AIG) to a profit in the third quarter, with a reported net income of $648m (£500m). Total pretax catastrophe losses in 2019 narrowed to $511m, well down on last year’s $1.6bn. Read more: Volatile market movements boost TP ICAP revenues This included $254m for [...]
FTSE 100 staggers as Lloyds and Shell profits tumble October 31, 2019 The FTSE 100 dropped sharply this morning as Lloyds and Shell weighed down London’s blue-chip index, which headed for its biggest fall since 2 October. The index fell roughly one per cent to 7,254 points, with the DAX and the CAC both down 0.7 per cent. Shell’s share price fell nearly 3.8 per cent to [...]
Lloyds Banking Group profit slumps 97 per cent after £1.8bn PPI hit October 31, 2019 Lloyds Banking Group narrowly avoided tipping into the red this morning after taking a major third-quarter dent from the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI). The lender’s pre-tax profits were reduced to £50m, falling 97 per cent from the same period last year after setting aside £1.8bn for PPI provisions. Read more: UK banking sector [...]
HSBC-backed fintech Bud to re-focus product stream after restructuring October 31, 2019 A fintech startup backed by HSBC is to open up its software to businesses outside of banking, as part of a restructuring of the business that included a swathe of lay-offs. Bud, which passes financial data made available through Open Banking legislation to banks in order to help them innovate, will now make its platform [...]
US Federal Reserve lowers rates again but signals it is done cutting October 30, 2019 The US Federal Reserve took the axe to interest rates for the third time in a row today, just hours after data showed the US economy slowed in the third quarter. Read more: US economic growth beats expectations with Fed poised to cut rates Fed president Jay Powell struck a more cautious tone than at [...]
US economic growth beats expectations but Fed still set to cut rates October 30, 2019 US economic growth slowed in the third quarter but beat expectations as consumer spending and higher exports offset a fall in business investment. Read more: S&P 500 hits all-time high on trade and Fed optimism The US economy grew at an annual rate of 1.9 per cent between July and September, the US Commerce Department [...]
Shop Direct could fail unless £150m is found, auditor warns October 28, 2019 Shop Direct, the UK retail group owned by the Barclay brothers, could collapse unless it finds £150m to cover the costs of payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation, its auditor has warned. Read more: Media veteran David Montgomery weighing up Telegraph bid The Littlewoods.com and Very.co.uk owner last week revealed it had seen higher-than-expected demand for [...]
Watchdog goes green with new stewardship code October 24, 2019 Fund managers have been called upon to think green by a new code that calls for investment firms to focus on “sustainable benefits for the economy, the environment and society”. Climate change has appeared as a key governance concern in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) framework for the first time, as the watchdog tries to [...]
Self-driving startup FiveAI launches commuter trials on London streets October 24, 2019 British startup FiveAI has today announced the launch of commuter research trials for its self-driving car technology, alongside motor insurance giant Direct Line. As part of the Streetwise Consortium, which also includes TRL, a 19km self-driving research route featuring human passengers will be launched in Croydon and Bromley to test out the technology. The invite-only [...]