All Grant Thornton’s scandals are denting partners’ profits October 31, 2019 Partner profit at embattled accountancy firm Grant Thornton UK dropped this year after the firm was embroiled in a series of scandals and its chief executive stepped down after an internal coup. In a year to forget for the UK’s sixth-largest accountancy firm, partner profits fell nearly six per cent to £323,000 from £343,000. The [...]
Audit watchdog calls for better risk forecasts to improve public trust in business October 30, 2019 The audit watchdog today called for firms to provide more information on strategic risks to help improve public trust in business. High-profile failures like travel agent Thomas Cook and outsourcer Carillion have led to fingers pointed at companies and their auditors with questions raised over why risks were not set out in the company’s accounts. [...]
Government faces calls for reform as data shows dominance of Big Four audit firms October 29, 2019 Data published yesterday by the audit watchdog showed that the Big Four accounting firms increased their market share of the UK audit market in 2018. The lack of competition in the sector has come under the microscope following scandals such as the failures of outsourcer Carillion and department store BHS which both received clean bills [...]
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 [...]
Markets hold the key to climate solutions October 22, 2019 One of the odder elements of our climate debate is the unwillingness of any political party to champion the green progress Britain has made recently. After all, last year more than half of the UK’s energy came from nuclear or renewables — a remarkable achievement. Yet politicians, for once, seem strangely reticent to shout about [...]
Audit watchdog calls on firms to improve reporting on climate change issues October 22, 2019 Businesses are falling short of investors’ expectations for clearer reporting on climate-related issues, according to a report published today by the audit watchdog. A report from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said that “while reporting on climate change is an evolving practice, expectations are changing rapidly”. Read more: Eco-friendly product sales surge on climate change [...]
Accountancy sector lagging behind business on diversity says watchdog October 21, 2019 The accountancy and audit profession is lagging behind business when it comes to the diversity of senior management, new research showed today. A report by audit watchdog the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) found a massive drop off between women at manager level and partner level at accountancy firms. Read more: Auditors slapped with rising fines [...]
Sir John Kingman says lack of government action putting audit reform at risk October 15, 2019 The author of a report into the future of the audit regulator warned today that lack of government action risks letting the watchdog “drift on, half-reformed”. Former mandarin Sir John Kingman undertook the report into the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) following the failure of outsourcer Carillion in 2018. Kingman expressed his concerns in a letter [...]
Auditors slapped with rising fines after turbulent year October 14, 2019 Britain’s beancounters faced rising fines over the last year, as the industry’s watchdog upped its penalties following a series of major accountancy scandals. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) fined audit firms roughly £24.3m in the year to the end of September, rising 44 per cent on the previous year, according to new Thomson Reuters research. [...]
BDO profits jump as partners enjoy pay rise October 7, 2019 BDO has reported a double-digit rise in profit and revenue for the last 12 months, as the accountancy giant ramped up the pressure on its larger under-fire Big Four rivals The beancounter enjoyed its seventh consecutive year of growth after profits rose 26 per cent to £134m and revenues jumped 25 per cent to £578m. [...]