Watchdog eyes Big Tech push into UK financial services sector October 25, 2022 The presence of Big Tech in the UK’s financial services market has caught the eyes of the regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is seeking views on the possible competition harms and benefits of the Big Tech push into financial services sectors and the infrastructure on which it is based. Sheldon Mills, executive director of [...]
Nightmare before Christmas: Half of shoppers to fork out less for gifts October 24, 2022 Half of shoppers are intending on spending less on Christmas this year as plunging consumer confidence sparks further concern for businesses. One in three of those shoppers said they would slash present budgets for close friends and family by over £25 per person, according to data from market insights firm Kantar. Brits are facing sky-high [...]
UK headed for ‘deep recession’ on political turmoil and soaring interest rates October 24, 2022 The UK could be hurtling toward a “deep recession” caused by a mixture of political turmoil and soaring prices forcing the Bank of England to hike interest rates steeply, a closely watched survey out today reveals. Britain’s private sector economy shrank sharply this month, with contraction rates returning to levels last seen in January 2021 [...]
Brits cutting spending sends profit warnings soaring October 24, 2022 Brits cutting spending in response to the cost of living crunch has driven a sharp uptick in the number of businesses warning profits will fall short of expectations, a new report out today shows. Some 86 listed companies issued a profit warning in the three months to September, up from 51 over the same period [...]
VAT free shopping U-turn ‘major blow’ for West End as tourists shun London for Paris and Milan October 17, 2022 Scrapping VAT free shopping for tourists is a “major blow” for London and the country’s economy, a group representing luxury stores in the West End and other retail hotspots has said. Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail (AIR) – whose members range from Bicester Village to Heathrow Airport – told CityA.M. the [...]
Truss and Hunt to oversee protracted recession, EY Item Club forecasts October 17, 2022 The UK is on course for a long recession that will last from this winter through to next summer, underscoring the tough challenge facing prime minister Liz Truss and her new chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Rising inflation compounded by higher interest rates will force the economy into reverse in the current quarter until the summer of [...]
EY announces record intake of almost 1,500 students with 40 per cent in regional hubs October 12, 2022 Big four accountancy firm EY (Ernst & Young) has announced a new intake of almost 1,500 students, with two-fifths based in regional office. EY’s new cohort of 1269 graduates and more than 200 apprentices is a 35 per cent increase on the young cohort for 2021. The firm was the first to remove the requirement [...]
Insolvencies spike to highest level since 2009 as energy crisis sets in October 7, 2022 Total company insolvencies in the second quarter of 2022 hit their highest quarterly level since 2009 at 5,629, as firms struggle to stay afloat amid the energy crisis. According to new ONS data, although insolvencies decreased in 2020 thanks to government support packages, Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs) have hit a new high. CVLs are the [...]
London’s IPO slump continues as firms raise £565.5m October 5, 2022 Cash raised through initial public offerings in London plunged by more than seven times in the third quarter of the year as the Capital continues its barren run amid soaring inflation and market volatility.
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? October 5, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Morgan Lewis US law firm Morgan Lewis has built out its London office with a former Big Four accounting veteran. Bringing experience from across the US government at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, where he was most recently [...]