Is the metaverse immune to CBDCs? February 7, 2023 Dr Chris Kacher weighs up the pros and cons of CBDCs, and wonders if the metaverse can escape their reach with the aid of Web3.
Rail travel: Government halving the cost of single LNER fares in a move that will ‘unleash more competition, innovation and growth’ February 7, 2023 The government is set to halve the cost of single rail fares across the wider LNER rail network, as part of its plan to reform the UK’s railways. Transport secretary Mark Harper will announce an extension of single-leg pricing beyond the few LNER services that have trialled the ticketing system since 2020. The move will [...]
Retail experts warn of ‘challenging’ months ahead as sales growth slows February 7, 2023 Senior retail figures have warned that the coming months will be “challenging” for the sector, after sales slowed over January, falling below the three-month average growth of 5.2 per cent to 4.2 per cent Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive at British Retail Consortium (BRC), said consumer confidence remains “stubbornly low” and looming rises in household [...]
Big Four look to hire London’s laid-off bankers to bolster their M&A teams February 6, 2023 The Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – are seeking to hire laid-off bankers to bolster the ranks of their M&A advisory arms in the City. Top execs told City A.M. the world’s biggest professional services firms are seeking to capitalise on the downturn in big M&A deals by poaching talent [...]
UK crypto hub ambitions at risk if it does not pass new rules quickly, experts warn February 1, 2023 The government’s new plans to “robustly regulate” cryptoassets garnered mixed reactions from the crypto industry today, with experts saying that while the proposals were welcome there were still huge questions about the timeline for when they might come into effect. Nick Taylor from Luno, a crypto exchange, described the launch of the consultation as “a [...]
The Notebook: Neil Bennett on strikes, why public markets matter and the Lehman Trilogy February 1, 2023 When my old friend James Ashton (former City Editor of the – ahem – Evening Standard) told me a few weeks ago that he had become CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance, I felt like sending him my St Jude pendant, for the patron saint of lost causes. For the quoted company sector has been [...]
KPMG UK revenues soar to £2.72bn as chief rules out split January 31, 2023 KPMG’s UK business today posted double digit revenue growth for the second year in a row on the back of fast-paced expansion in its consulting and M&A deals advisory divisions. In an interview with City A.M., KPMG UK’s chief executive said the “very strong financial performance” signalled the strength of KPMG’s “multidisciplinary” model, as he [...]
Recession risks return as Brits brace for cost of living crisis to make 2023 a ‘bumpy ride’ January 20, 2023 UK consumer confidence dipped for the first time in two months in January, raising the risk the economy will slip into recession after all despite a string of better than expected data recently, a closely watched survey out today reveals. A credit card debt hangover from the Christmas spending splurge and energy bills looming has [...]
UK ‘cleantech’ firms set for funding boost amid net zero drive, KPMG predicts January 18, 2023 Venture capital investors are turning their gaze towards the UK’s so-called cleantech sector this year as net zero targets move closer, analysts from KPMG have predicted. Last year, global venture investment slumped by almost a third last year as soaring inflation and sharp rate hikes caused investors to turn off the taps following a funding [...]
Carillion: Five years on, MPs and industry leaders demand audit reform to ensure scandal is not repeated January 18, 2023 On the fifth anniversary of the collapse of outsourcer Carillion, MPs and audit sector leaders have united in calling on the UK government to push forwards with plans to overhaul the country’s audit sector. MPs said a shake-up of the country’s accounting industry is needed imminently to ensure that audit failures, such as the one [...]