Klarna global boss doubles down on UK investment despite regulation uncertainty September 5, 2023 Buy-now pay-later giant Klarna will double down on a UK investment drive despite lingering uncertainty around a clampdown on the sector by regulators this year, its global chief has pledged. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, founder and chief of the Swedish fintech, told City A.M. that the UK remained a key market for the firm despite a push [...]
Direct Line agrees to major review after overcharging customers £30m September 1, 2023 Direct Line has agreed to a major review of pay redress to customers today after admitting an error in the calculation of new insurance rules meant it overcharged customers by some £30m.
Watches of Switzerland share price plummets 27 per cent after Rolex deal for Bucherer August 25, 2023 Shares in Watches of Switzerland fell over 27 per cent this morning following news that Rolex had bought fine jeweller Bucherer AG. This morning the luxury watch seller, which deals Rolex timepieces, tried to stave off investor concerns that the acquisition would hinder sales at the company. “There will be no change in the Rolex [...]
Stonewall Inn owners: Gay marriage could be taken away from LGBTQ people August 24, 2023 LGBTQ rights are being challenged in the UK and US, but The Stonewall Inn co-owners tell Adam Bloodworth that their pioneering safe spaces initiative is already changing the lives of LGBT employees and customers. Now British companies and employees can sign up. “We’re being attacked and moving backwards on a global level,” says Stacy Lentz, [...]
Klarna going ‘all in on AI’ to fuel super-app push August 21, 2023 Klarna is “going all in on AI” as it looks to push beyond its buy-now pay-later bread and butter and take on banks on cheap lending, its global chief said.
Rishi Sunak: Brits will never have it so good (next year) despite ‘real risk’ of recession August 17, 2023 Rishi Sunak has outlined his hopes to ensure Britons feel better off next year, amid warnings that the UK economy faces a “very real risk” of recession due to higher interest rates. The Prime Minister attempted to strike an optimistic tone when asked about efforts to tame inflation, as he said there is a need [...]
FTSE 100 close: Wage growth fuels rate fears as M&S soars and B&M drops on Wilko speculation August 15, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 ended Tuesday down more than 1.6 per cent, as record-breaking wage growth fueled speculation of a 15th straight Bank of England rate hike. The capital’s blue-chip index was down 1.63 per cent by close of play to to 7,384.94, weighed down by listed investment firm Abrdn, down three per cent, alongside Pheonix [...]
UK unemployment ticks up but wage growth hits two-decade-high August 15, 2023 The rate of UK unemployment rose to 4.2 per cent in the three months to June from 3.9 per cent in the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics said. However, this was tempered by annual growth in pay – excluding bonuses – up to 7.8 per cent in June. This is the highest [...]
Brokers predict ‘mortgage price war’ as lenders including HSBC and Nationwide cut rates again August 9, 2023 Brokers have suggested there could be a “mortgage price war” as lenders continue to reduce rates amid hopes inflation is finally on the way down. Nationwide reduced prices on some of its fixed products by up to 0.55 percentage points while HSBC reduced rates by up to 0.2 percentage points. TSB also lowered rates by [...]
Bank of England lifts interest rates to fresh 15 year high in smaller than feared 14th straight hike August 3, 2023 The Bank of England today hiked the UK’s official interest rate for the 14th time in a row but by a lower degree than some had feared. Members of the nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of a 25 basis point rise, smaller than the 50 basis point lift some in the [...]