EU proposals target radical audit revamp October 13, 2010 “BIG FOUR” accountancy firms could be forced to scale back their audit activities in the future, if a European Commission consultation on shaking up the industry finds that the scale of individual players poses a systemic risk. The EU’s internal markets commissioner Michel Barnier yesterday launched the wide-ranging consultation to examine whether the role of [...]
The City is a vital component in UK prosperity October 10, 2010 Now that we have reached the end of the 2010 Party Conference season, it is perhaps time to take a step back and reflect on some of the rhetoric directed at the City in a calm, rational manner. The hostile political environment facing financial services is – to a degree – understandable given the public [...]
Drug IT group to float October 10, 2010 A SUPPLIER of safety assessment software to drug development companies is raising £9.15million on London’s junior stock market to help it hit the acquisition trail. Instem Life Science Systems, whose customers include GlaxoSmithKline and Astrazeneca, is placing 5,228,376 shares at 175p each on AIM, giving it a market capitalisation of £20.5m. The Staffordshire-based company, whose flagship [...]
Darkening jobs outlook won’t hit recruitment firms equally October 10, 2010 DARK clouds have been gathering on the employment horizon for some time and the outlook for the UK jobs market has been getting steadily gloomier. Last week, a survey conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG warned of a double-dip in the jobs market and said employment had flatlined. This week, official [...]
UK taxes near top in Europe October 5, 2010 THE UK has become the fourth most highly taxed country in the whole of Europe, a report revealed yesterday while also warning there could be an exodus of high earners from the City. KPMG’s annual individual income tax and social security rate survey showed the introduction of the 50 per cent rate of tax was [...]
… but UK job demand falls October 5, 2010 OVERALL demand for staff among employers across the UK grew at its slowest rate in almost a year last month, a report published today will show, prompting fears the economy may be slipping back into recession. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)/KPMG report showed a slower rise in both permanent and temporary vacancies during the [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS October 5, 2010 KPMG The financial services group has hired Iain McLaughlin as its new UK head of recruitment. He joins from GlaxoSmithKline, where he spent six years working in human resources, most recently with a focus on the emerging markets. He has also worked in HR for the banking and IT sectors. McLaughlin’s appointment is part of [...]
KPMG joins rivals on new hiring spree October 4, 2010 BIG FOUR accounting firm KPMG has joined the ranks of its accountancy rivals as it plans to recruit 8,000 new staff across Europe within the next three years. The hiring spree, as reported in the Financial Times, will see the firm’s British arm grow by 3,000 new staff over the period. Once the recruitment drive [...]
Single income families take hit on child benefit change October 4, 2010 SINGLE income families will be the hardest hit by the changes to child benefit if their income breaches £44,000, an analysis by KPMG has shown. While the chancellor’s decision to scrap child benefit for higher rate taxpayers only removes the benefit from those who might arguably be able to afford to live without it the [...]
Buyout deals enjoy strong third quarter October 3, 2010 PRIVATE equity firms enjoyed a strong third quarter, taking the average value of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals to their highest for three years, KPMG research has revealed. Its latest management buyout research showed nearly £9.3bn changed hands in the last three months, almost three times the value of M&A deals in the previous quarter, [...]