One in six UK cigarettes from black market April 19, 2013 MORE than one in six cigarettes smoked in the UK has been bought illegally, costing the Treasury billions in lost tax revenues, a new report claims. Research from KPMG claims that illicit cigarettes accounted for 16.4 per cent of the UK market in 2012, above the EU average of 11.1 per cent. It also claimed [...]
Former lawyers heading FTSE 100 companies on the increase March 22, 2013 PEOPLE with a legal background are rising through the ranks in blue chip company boardrooms and taking senior management roles, a report out yesterday said. The number of chief executives with a legal background at FTSE 100 companies has increased since 2002 when there were just three. Today there are seven but some commentators say [...]
We’re more radical than Thatcher with business tax reform March 9, 2013 WITH many economies – including the UK – struggling to achieve strong growth, there is naturally a focus on what governments can do to assist. The Prime Minister is making a major speech today about the key elements of the coalition’s plan, but I want to focus on one part: how a competitive tax system [...]
Competition body slams audit firms February 22, 2013 THE COMPETITION Commission will this morning find that the Big Four accountancy firms have too much control over the industry, and call for measures to encourage Britain’s largest companies to change auditor regularly to boost competition. In its long-awaited provisional report, the commission is expected to find no evidence of collusion, but will raise concerns [...]
Plans to force firms to switch auditors don’t go far enough February 21, 2013 BANKS, ratings agencies, now auditors: the firing line of financial sub-industries being dragged kicking and screaming into a post-crisis world continues to lengthen. As soon as tomorrow, the Competition Commission will pave the way for an overhaul of the Big Four accountants with a proposal to enforce mandatory rotation of their major audit clients at [...]
Payout cut sees £680m wiped off RSA’s stock February 21, 2013 MORE THAN £680m was wiped off RSA’s market capitalisation yesterday as investors took flight following the company’s decision to slash its dividend by a third. Chief executive Simon Lee told City A.M. that the unexpected decision to cut investor payouts – which forced its share price down 14 per cent – was never going to [...]
City Moves for 20 February 2013 | Who’s switching jobs February 19, 2013 Broadwalk Asset Management Mark Shepperd will join the asset management firm as a senior analyst. He was most recently a senior adviser in the investment banking division at UBS, and previously spent 20 years running its support services team Scipion The African commodities investment firm has appointed Georgina Fleming to oversee product management and development. [...]
Anti-trust body to rule on audit work this week February 18, 2013 THE Big Four accounting firms will learn this week whether the UK Competition Commission plans to shake up the industry to give smaller challengers a better shot at winning audit work. KPMG, PwC, Ernst & Young and Deloitte, which together audit all but a handful of Britain’s biggest firms, have told the commission that the [...]
Cameron blows UK’s trade horn on India visit February 17, 2013 LONDON’S transport expertise and Tesco’s expansion plans will be high on the agenda during Prime Minister David Cameron’s trade mission to India this week. Cameron will arrive in Mumbai today with a delegation of ministers and business bosses including Standard Chartered’s Peter Sands to speak with trade partners in India. Transport for London has sent [...]
Aberdeen buys up two firms in spending spree February 14, 2013 MONEY manager Aberdeen Asset Management hit the acquisition trail yesterday, bolting on a US fund manager and taking a 50 per cent stake in a private equity unit. The investment house, which has had a stellar market run over the year, with its shares increasing 64 per cent, agreed to buy listed fund manager Artio [...]