More private sector DB pension schemes in surplus than deficit as UK moves toward economic recovery May 11, 2021 The funding of private sector defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the last year has become healthier, with the number of schemes in surplus greater than those in deficit. Last month, of 5,318 private sector DB schemes, there were 2,622 schemes in deficit and 2,696 in surplus, according to figures from the Pension Protection Fund’s [...]
Landlords vs retailers: What the New Look legal case means for future of CVAs May 10, 2021 New Look today defeated a legal challenge to its restructuring plan by a group of its landlords in a landmark case that experts say will clear the way for other retailers to use Company Voluntary Arrangements to combat the impact of the pandemic. The ruling is likely to deepen tensions between tenants and landlords, as [...]
Begbies Traynor makes fourth acquisition this year May 10, 2021 Begbies Traynor has bought Midlands-based finance broker MAF Property, marking its fourth acquisition of the year as the group continues to focus on growth. The London-listed professional services firm will pay a maximum of £11.75m for MAF Property, with an initial cash payment of £3m, followed by the potential for an additional £8.75m subject to [...]
David Cameron and Lex Greensill to appear before MPs next week May 7, 2021 David Cameron and Lex Greensill will appear before MPs next week to answer questions on the collapse of the boutique bank of the same name amid a huge lobbying row. The former Prime Minister was an adviser to the firm, which provided supply chain financing to firms including billionaire industrialist Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG empire. In [...]
BoE does not expect wave of bankruptcies when Covid support measures end May 7, 2021 A tide of bankruptcies among UK firms is not expected when the government pulls its emergency Covid support measures like the furlough scheme later this year, BoE Chief Economist Andy Haldane has said. Many debts racked up recently by companies are spread over long durations “which increases the chances of them being able to be [...]
SPAC frenzy holds valuable lessons for the UK May 6, 2021 The explosive growth in Special Acquisition Purpose Company (SPAC) listings – shell companies listed on the stock exchange with the purpose of ‘reversing-in’ to another company and taking it public by the backdoor, has so far been a purely US phenomenon. However, other markets are now catching on. The value of listings by SPACs grew [...]
Archegos set for insolvency as it braces for legal claims from banks May 5, 2021 Archegos is reportedly planning to file for insolvency as banks seek to recoup their losses after the firm failed to meet margin calls. The collapse of the family office, run by former Tiger Asia manager Bill Hwang, in March saw its brokers take a $10bn hit. Nomura posted its biggest quarterly loss in over a [...]
Liberty Steel appoints new restructuring committee as firm seals deal for Australian steelworks May 5, 2021 Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Steel has today announced that it will set up a restructuring committee made up of four new directors in a bid to refinance the group after the collapse of Greensill in March. In a statement, the firm, which is a subsidiary of the tycoon’s GFG Alliance, said that the new execs would [...]
High street decline May 5, 2021 With high streets in turmoil and recovery slow, high street graveyards are becoming a common sight across the UK. The past 12 months have not been easy for the vast majority of companies, in particular for those without an online platform. However, the struggle of the high street is not a new problem. Rewind a few years [...]
Future of high streets look bleak as the end of Covid-19 rent debt relief nears May 5, 2021 The future of UK high streets appears bleak today, as 71 per cent of high street businesses expect further job losses without government or landlord support, according to commercial restructuring specialists Cedar Dean. As the end of the rent moratorium approaches, 80 per cent of high street tenants still face ‘unproductive’ discussions with their landlords. [...]