More data points to UK economy avoiding recession but experts urge Hunt to prevent investment cliff edge at March budget March 1, 2023 The prospect of the UK avoiding a recession after a batch of better than expected recent data has propelled business confidence higher, a closely watched survey out today shows. Optimism among company leaders jumped 11 points to minus 17 this month, shifting it back to levels seen when the government launched Plan B measures to [...]
The Notebook: Neil Bennett on the Bank’s lost credibility, corporation tax, and Scotland the timid March 1, 2023 The Notebook is a place where interesting people note interesting things. Today it’s our fortnightly columnist Neil Bennett, the global co-CEO of communications and strategic advisory group H/Advisors, on the Bank of England’s forecasting record, corporation tax plans, and a new must-see play Cast your mind back to last November, when Huw Pill, Chief Economist [...]
Investors pocket record $1.56 trillion as oil and gas firms fuel dividend bonanza March 1, 2023 Shareholders pocketed record dividend payouts last year in a bonanza driven by oil and gas firms cashing in on soaring energy prices, new research has revealed.
End of Bank of England £800bn bond buying scheme poses headaches for Treasury and taxpayers February 28, 2023 The magic money tree is shedding its leaves. Over a decade of cheap cash propping up the global economy has been toppled by a once in a generation inflation problem. QE was a necessary response to the batch of shocks ricocheting around the global economy since 2008. Now it’s shifted into reverse. But how did [...]
Former Met police detective sues ex-City lawyer over ENRC hacking claims February 27, 2023 A former Metropolitan police officer has accused an ex-City lawyer of trying to hack his emails to steal information about Kazakh mining company ENRC. Former detective Cameron Findlay has claimed ex-Dechert partner Neil Gerrard orchestrated a campaign of ‘spear-phishing’ attacks against him during a court dispute surrounding the Kazakh firm, US court papers show. A [...]
FTSE bosses braced for wave of takeovers as foreign firms hunt for bargains February 27, 2023 Bosses at the UK’s top firms are braced for a wave of takeovers this year as foreign buyers continue to swoop on cheap London-listed companies amid a rebound in dealmaking, new research has found. Nearly ninety per cent of FTSE 250 directors said they believed UK firms were vulnerable to foreign takeovers this year, with [...]
FTSE 100 close: Bunzl and Rolls Royce help London index shrug off interest rate and inflation woes February 27, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 opened the week in positive territory today as investors appeared to shrug off concerns about inflation and how forcefully central banks would respond to it. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.72 per cent to 7,935.12 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
Stablecoin market cap falls for eleventh consecutive month, and IMF calls for ‘coordinated action’ on crypto February 27, 2023 Data from CryptoCompare shows the price of Bitcoin steadily dropped from around $25,000 to a $23,000 low over the last seven days.
Monzo and Wise founders back £8.8m Robin AI robot lawyer project February 27, 2023 A City computing company has raised $10.5m (£8.8m) from backers including top execs from Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) driven, robot lawyer. The founders of fintech firms Monzo and Wise have also thrown their weight behind London’s Robin AI, which is seeking to disrupt the legal sector with [...]
Begbies Traynor boosted by collapse of Paperchase and host of insolvencies February 27, 2023 Restructuring specialist Begbies Traynor Group says its finances have been boosted by the collapse of Paperchase earlier this year. Begbies Traynor was appointed as administrator after the struggling stationery chain failed to secure any buyers. The retailer’s 106 branches could face closure after Tesco agreed to buy the brand but not its stores or workforce. [...]