Recession fears chill UK investment as CBI urges Jeremy Hunt to rethink tax grab at March budget February 27, 2023 British businesses are poised to mothball investment due to uncertainty over whether the country is on course to tip into a recession and a looming tax grab, a new survey out today indicates. Fears of a slowdown in spending caused by families’ finances being squeezed by the cost of living crisis has knocked optimism among [...]
Insurance sector deal-making hits decade high but 2023 outlook remains shaky February 26, 2023 Insurance sector M&A deals surged to a 10-year high in 2022, as the end of Covid-19 drove an uptick in deal-making activity. Insurance companies completed 449 M&A deals last year, marking the highest number of deals for a decade, new data from Clyde & Co shows. The surge in deals, from 418 in 2021 to [...]
HSBC doubles down on homeworking as Lloyd’s of London pushes for return to City HQ February 26, 2023 HSBC’s and Lloyd’s rival plans for the futures of their London headquarters have revealed a growing split in attitudes towards the long-term prospects of working from home. Lloyd’s of London is reportedly in talks to extend the lease on its iconic City headquarters as it works to bring staff back into the office in resisting [...]
Warren Buffett turns record profit – despite lashings of global headwinds February 25, 2023 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Saturday reported its highest-ever annual operating profit, even as foreign currency losses and lower gains from investments caused fourth-quarter profit to fall. Buffett called 2022 a “good year” for Berkshire in his annual shareholder letter after the conglomerate’s dozens of businesses generated $30.8 billion of profit despite rising inflation and [...]
The cost of living, Will Smith and the future of Wasps and Worcester: This week’s best read stories on City A.M. February 24, 2023 The rising cost of living and its implications dominated this week’s best read list, along with UCL researcher Rosie Collington’s challenge to the consultancy sector and One: Lloyds Bank’s profits to help cushion customers’ rising cost of living Lloyds Bank’s announcement that its profits are to be held back to help with the cost of [...]
Accessibility, Customer Focus and Inclusivity: Refreshing disability strategies February 23, 2023 DiverCity® Podcast · Accessibility, Customer Focus and Inclusivity: Refreshing disability strategies In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Toby Mildon, Diversity & Inclusion Architect and founder of Mildon, a consultancy and advisory business, and Johnny Timpson OBE, principal of Johnny Timpson Consulting and Non-Executive Chair of specialist military insurance brokerage Absolute Military. Together they [...]
Serco wins £570m contract to run US public health insurance schemes February 23, 2023 British outsourcing giant Serco has won a $690m (£573m) contract from the US government to administer the country’s public health insurance schemes. Serco will run back-office delivery of America’s public health insurance initiatives in determining whether US citizens are eligible to buy coverage through the government-backed schemes. Serco’s renewed contract, which it first won [...]
The Square Mile and Me: Aon’s Dominic Christian on the Lamb, the Broker and the City’s green ambitions February 23, 2023 Every week we ask the great and good of the Square Mile to share their memories of the City – and their favourite pubs and restaurants. This week it’s Dominic Christian, Chair of Aon’s Global Reinsurance Solutions business and a City councilman First memory of the Square Mile Scary, surreal, fascinating. Suits everywhere. Everyone seemed [...]
Prudential: New CEO gears up for first day at insurance giant February 23, 2023 Anil Wadhwani is to start his role as chief executive of Prudential on Saturday 25 February, the company has announced As previously announced in May 2022, Anil Wadhwani will join Prudential as chief executive. He will present 2022 Full Year Results on 15 March 2023 and will begin meeting with investors and stakeholders thereafter. Mark FitzPatrick, chief executive since 1 [...]
Labour ‘very supportive’ of post-Brexit overhaul of EU Solvency II rules February 21, 2023 Labour is “very supportive” of the government’s plans to overhaul EU rules that govern Britain’s insurance sector, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said. The government is eager to overhaul the EU-era Solvency II rules, which govern the sums of money insurers must hold on their balance sheets to protect themselves against bankruptcy, in a bid to [...]