The mountain of debt cannot be ignored no matter how much the economy grows January 12, 2022 Politicians and regulators are increasingly concerned about one phenomenon: buy-now-pay-later (BNPL). Nearly a year ago, the government agreed to regulate BNPL lenders, with an independent review chaired by City expert Christopher Woolard warning the sector represented a “significant potential consumer harm”. A Treasury consultation on BNPL only closed at the end of last year. It [...]
Rate lift off to boost Wall Street banks’ bottom lines this year as investors eye earnings season January 11, 2022 The US Federal Reserve flexing its inflation fighting muscles this year by hoisting interest rates rapidly is set to boost Wall Street banks’ bottom lines in 2022. The likes of JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Citi are in line to benefit from Fed chair Jerome Powell leading the fight against a spiralling cost of living across [...]
Darling Darktrace is back: Shares climb 20 per cent following revenue boom January 11, 2022 Darktrace surged 20.8 per cent after it raised its full-year outlook for revenue and earnings margin following strong customer growth and retention in the first half of the year.
Breakdown in social cohesion to put global economy in a vice, warn world’s top business brass January 11, 2022 A breakdown in social cohesion will cause volatility to ripple throughout the world, putting the global economy in a vice. The risk of social upheaval has intensified sharply since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis and now poses a real threat to eroding multilateral cooperation and derailing the global economy, according to a survey of [...]
Retail in 2022: Leisure explosion and flexible landlords will give the UK high street a much-needed boost this year January 11, 2022 Demand for property outside traditional retail and pragmatic landlords have given “renewed optimism” for some high streets and shopping districts despite the toll of the pandemic, according to industry experts. The pressure from lockdown measures, after a steady decline in recent years, saw vacancy rates across shopping destinations hit record levels in the second quarter [...]
London notches best year for floats since 2007 January 11, 2022 A wave of listings flooded London markets last year as private firms pushed to capitalise on strong investor demand, reveals new figures published today. Some 121 businesses floated in the City in 2021, the highest volume since 2007, according to research carried out by consultancy EY. Newly listed firms raised over £16bn in the capital [...]
Three in four small business owners worried about rising inflation this year January 10, 2022 71 per cent of UK small business owners are concerned about rising inflation, according to new analysis from Iwoca.
Cost of living crisis: Millions of savers miss out as UK banks pocket profits from higher interest rates January 10, 2022 The UK’s major banks have failed to pass on last month’s interest rate rise to millions of savers, according to Moneyfacts.
As London passes the peak and transport reopens, could it really be a happy new year? January 10, 2022 London may be emerging from the worst of the new Covid-19 peak, with the capital’s public health boss saying London appears to be past the peak of infections and vital transport infrastructure kicking back into gear today. Professor Kevin Fenton, London’s public health director, said the data suggests “we may have passed or are at [...]
Wave of staff absences set to wipe off £35bn from UK economy January 9, 2022 A wave of staff absences triggered by Omicron sweeping across the UK could shave £35bn off the British economy, according to new figures released today. The loss in output caused by workers being forced to self-isolate after contracting Covid-19 may wipe off around 8.8 per cent of January and February’s combined gross domestic product (GDP), [...]