Gas prices on the industry-focused prompt market slide on first full day of trading January 3, 2017 Gas prices plunged in the first full day of trading in 2017, as weak demand and ramped-up North Sea supply wiped out many of the gains made in December. Prices for one contract on the short-term market, also known as the prompt market, fell by 3.15p or six per cent to 49.75p per therm. Some of the largest [...]
Ginsters owner to team-up with celebrity-backed Cornish pasty firm January 3, 2017 Baker Greggs' UK pasty dominance is to come under increasing pressure as two of its rivals are set to announce a tie-up as part of a multi-million pound deal. Samworth Brothers, which owns a variety of brands including Ginsters, will announce this week plans to buy West Cornwall Pasty Co – a celebrity-backed firm that was saved [...]
Oil price slump pushes UK oil and gas sector insolvencies to five-year high January 3, 2017 The oil price slump drove insolvencies in the UK oil and gas sector to a five-year high in 2016, according to accountancy firm Moore Stephens. There was an eightfold increase in the number of companies that collapsed last year, from two in 2015 to 16 in 2016. In 2014, six companies folded, compared to just one [...]
Wells Fargo growth to be capped after failing key contagion test by US regulators December 14, 2016 US banking giant Wells Fargo has been slapped with restrictions on growing its business by US authorities after failing a key "living will" test. Regulators announced overnight the San Francisco bank had failed the test for the second time this year. The living will rules are supposed to satisfy authorities contingency plans are in place for a controlled wind-down [...]
Can Ofcom force through Openreach split? BT trustees believe it could bust pension scheme December 13, 2016 A BT Openreach separation could tip the telecoms giant's pension scheme into insolvency leaving a £10bn black hole, its pension trustees fear. Trustees voiced concerns in a redacted note responding to Ofcom’s proposals to legally separate the company that runs Britain’s telecoms infrastructure from the wider BT group. Because, according to the trustees’ note, a [...]
Craft drinks have put a cork in the UK’s pub insolvency problem December 12, 2016 Investment in craft beer, high-quality food and trendy refurbishments is helping save the UK's pubs from insolvency. The number of pubs and bars unable to pay their debts has dropped seven per cent, decreasing from 521 to 480 in just one year, Ortus Secured Finance will today report. Over the last three years, the rate of pub and bar companies [...]
BHS pensions lifeboat fights ballooning bill from administrators Duff & Phelps December 4, 2016 The BHS pensions lifeboat has vetoed an invoice put forward by the collapsed retailer's administrators, Duff & Phelps. Duff & Phelps initially estimated a fee of £3.5m for its work on BHS, but later increased its fee to £4.1m. In a meeting of creditors on 15 November, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) – BHS' largest creditor [...]
A vote for No in the Italian referendum is unlikely to precipitate “Italeave”, but could worsen the situation facing the country’s beleaguered banks November 29, 2016 Since the European sovereign debt crisis, critics of the euro have asked how long the single currency can continue when the economies which use it are on such divergent trajectories. Now, after a third Greek bailout, a Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s presidential win breathing hope into eurosceptic parties across Europe, their prophesy may be [...]
The European Commission unveils US-style protection for insolvent companies November 22, 2016 A radical cross-border shake-up of insolvency laws was today proposed by the European Commission. An EU draft directive was issued proposing to give companies more breathing space to sort out debts instead of being forced to cease trading. Similar to US-style Chapter 11 proceedings, companies would be shielded from creditors taking action against a company during a four month window. Such a shield [...]
City Moves for 16 November 2016 | Who’s switching jobs November 16, 2016 HSBC HSBC’s Sanjeev Chopra is to join Psigma Investment Management as investment director in January 2017 reporting to John Howard-Smith, CEO. A seasoned investment professional, Sanjeev has worked at HSBC for nearly two decades, his most recent role being client director at HSBC Global Asset Management. IHS Markit IHS Markit has appointed Andrew Aziz as the global [...]