City law firms enjoy bumper year for revenues October 22, 2020 London’s legal market has solidified its position as one of the City’s most resilient sectors after a year of strong financials and high pay packets. Despite the double whammy of Brexit and pandemic uncertainty, UK and US firms have managed to secure some of the most remunerative work and solidify London as a leading global [...]
Where is the Institutional Money? October 22, 2020 For over a decade now, we have seen the growth and development of digital assets. Some have been highly successful in terms of increasing their value and use (for example Bitcoin and Ethereum) whilst many have been less successful. What is clear is the lack of institutional capital, compared to other tradable assets, that has [...]
Embracing ambiguity: Why empathy and patience count more than false hopes of returning to normal October 22, 2020 When the pandemic first struck, the prospect of returning to the office by September was a light at the end of a tunnel of uncertainty. Rising Covid-19 case numbers now mean many of us face a long winter of remote working. In fact, it’s likely that the next few years may be defined by periods [...]
Rentokil boosts revenue on disinfection sales during pandemic October 22, 2020 Rentokil’s revenue climbed almost 10 per cent in the third quarter, after strong demand for its hygiene and disinfection services helped offset a slump in pest control sales, and boosted its full-year outlook. The figures The Camberley-based ratcatchers saw ongoing group revenue climb 9.8 per cent to £754.6m in the third quarter. The group said [...]
British Steel pension scheme trustees secure £2bn buyout October 22, 2020 Trustees of collapsed British Steel’s pension scheme have agreed a £2bn deal with insurers to secure the pensions of 30,000 staff. The agreement will see the Pension Insurance Corporation buy out the existing scheme at or above the level of compensation supplied by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The Old British Steel Pension Scheme (OBSPS) [...]
HSBC ‘to cut 300 jobs’ in overhaul of UK commercial banking October 21, 2020 HSBC has reportedly launched a restructuring of its commercial banking business in the UK that will lead to around 300 job cuts. The cuts are part of a wider strategy overhaul announced by the banking giant earlier this year as it seeks to slash costs and reinvigorate its business in the face of global economic [...]
MPs demand update on audit reform progress from business secretary October 21, 2020 An influential committee of MPs has written to business secretary Alok Sharma to demand an update on the government’s progress implementing audit reforms following a series of high-profile accounting scandals. In a letter dated yesterday, Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee chair Darren Jones asked Sharma to outline which reforms recommended by two recent [...]
BoE deputy says the ‘time is not right’ for negative interest rates October 21, 2020 High levels of economic uncertainty and a bruised banking system mean now is not the time to experiment with negative interest rates, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has said. Sir Dave Ramsden today struck a more cautious tone on the novel monetary policy than his colleague Gertjan Vlieghe did yesterday. Vlieghe said [...]
BoE deputy says the ‘time is not right’ for negative interest rates : CityAM October 21, 2020 High levels of economic uncertainty and a bruised banking system mean now is not the time to experiment with negative interest rates, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has said.Sir Dave Ramsden today struck a more cautious tone on the novel monetary policy than his colleague Gertjan Vlieghe did yesterday. Vlieghe said he [...]
Accounting watchdog floats strengthening auditors’ obligation to spot fraud October 21, 2020 The UK’s accounting regulator has proposed increasing the requirements on auditors to detect fraud in company accounts following a spate of high-profile accounting scandals. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a review into the international accounting standard outlining auditors’ responsibilities to identify fraud. The watchdog is proposing revisions to the standard to provide “increased [...]