Exclusive: Business owners on how the recovery is playing out on the ground March 15, 2021 This morning it was announced that the rapid rollout of Covid-19 vaccines has led to business confidence hitting its highest levels in three years. According to IHS Markit’s global business outlook survey, business confidence now stands at +32 per cent, up from +26 per cent in October. The increase has been driven by the success [...]
BoE’s Bailey apologises to investors amid criticism over LCF collapse March 15, 2021 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has apologised for his role in failing investors of collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance. His apology came amid rising pressure about his responsibility in a series of scandals during his role as head of the Financial Conduct Authority. On Monday morning, Bailey told BBC Radio 4 that [...]
BoE boss Bailey expects a permanent shift to ‘hybrid working’ March 15, 2021 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey today said that he expects working from home to stay, with a ‘hybrid’ model of home and workplace set to become the norm. Bailey told BBC Radio 4 that he predicts a permanent change as habits and practices are proved to be sustainable. “I would be very surprised if [...]
Stripe tops US startup rankings as valuation jumps to $95bn March 15, 2021 Digital payments firm Stripe has become the most valuable private company in Silicon Valley after fresh funding drove up its price tag to $95bn (£68bn). The financial services firm last night announced it had raised $600m in fresh capital from investors including Allianz, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Sequoia Capital, and Ireland’s National [...]
Great fire of Londoners: Capital feels more ‘burnt out’ than any other UK region March 15, 2021 In the era of ‘grind culture’, Londoners feel more ‘burnt out’ and stressed due to work pressures than people in any other region in the UK, according to research published this morning. The study by Delamere Health Cheshire said that the average person will spend one-third of their life at work, with Londoners giving the [...]
Canary Wharf: The ‘all work, no play’ banking district tries to reinvent itself as a Millennial neighbourhood March 15, 2021 Canary Wharf: The 'all work, no play' banking district tries to reinvent itself as a Milleninial neighbourhood
Deliveroo plans to issue £1bn of new shares in upcoming London float March 15, 2021 Food delivery giant Deliveroo said this morning that it plans to offer around £1bn of new shares in its upcoming London float. The company confirmed that its public listing will also include the sale of shares by certain existing shareholders. Deliveroo further added that it will have two classes of shares, with founder and chief executive Will Shu [...]
Thorntons to close all UK stores putting 600 jobs at risk March 15, 2021 Thorntons has announced it will close all of its stores, putting around 600 jobs at risk. The chocolatier said this afternoon that it will permanently shutter its 61 branches due to the restrictions on trading during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement the Sheffield-founded brand said lockdown restrictions over the Easter and Christmas period and [...]
UK economy shrank 2.9 per cent in January as third lockdown took hold March 12, 2021 Monthly GDP fell by 2.9 per cent in January as a fresh national lockdown took hold of the UK economy, according to new ONS data. The January figure, which was 9 per cent below its February 2020 level, was driven by a decline of 3.5 per cent in services, the Office for National Statistics said. [...]
Before the Bell: Inflation genie returns to his bottle as UK GDP data is next March 12, 2021 The buy-everything animal spirits refused to be caged any longer overnight as financial markets returned the inflation genie to its bottle. Technology was back, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones closed at record highs, US yields held steady, Bitcoin rose, and the US Dollar fell, with markets partying like it was 2020. Yesterday, the European [...]