Credit Suisse halts redemptions on $10bn Greensill-linked funds March 1, 2021 Credit Suisse has suspended redemptions and subscriptions on a range of investments linked to the Softbank-backed finance firm Greensill Capital. Greensill Capital is the brainchild of former Citigroup and Morgan Stanley financier Lex Greensill and it employs former PM David Cameron as an adviser. Greensill specialises in supply-chain finance where businesses borrow money to pay [...]
Campaigners slam Aviva’s ‘ambiguous’ net zero commitment March 1, 2021 Climate campaigners have questioned Aviva’s net zero commitment claiming the insurance giant will continue to invest in fossil fuels. This morning Aviva announced it planned to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2040. The firm said it had written to the biggest carbon emitters in its portfolio urging them to sign up to [...]
The Week Ahead: March kicks off with the Budget, Aviva, Zoom and Vroom March 1, 2021 March has arrived and City A.M. looks at what the first week of this month has in store. First of all, of course, there is the Budget this Wednesday. It’s the most important week of the year for Chancellor Rishi Sunak as he outlines the outlook for the UK economy over the next few months. He [...]
FinTech revolution was borne out of 2008 crash, Rishi Sunak must nurture a post-crisis environment for innovation March 1, 2021 It was from the devastation of the global financial crisis the FinTech revolution emerged. The pandemic will spur a new era of innovation too, and it has the potential to be bigger and even more explosive than the past decade – if we get it right. Who knew that while we all watched on as [...]
Budget 2021: Sunak eyes tax on online deliveries and freelance workers February 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak is reportedly preparing to announce new taxes on online deliveries and freelance workers in Wednesday’s Budget to help pay off the UK’s Covid spending. The tax would likely target online firms like Amazon and Asos who have seen profits soar over the past year, after people spent much of 2020 in lockdown. It [...]
Lloyd’s of London plans to reopen underwriting room from 17 May February 27, 2021 Lloyd’s of London is reportedly planning to reopen its underwriting room from 17 May for a few hundred people. The City stalwart is one of the first firms to lay out its initial plans for getting workers back into the Square Mile after the coronavirus pandemic. The Telegraph reported that Lloyd’s will allow 30 per [...]
FTSE 100 falls as bond sell-off knocks equities February 26, 2021 The FTSE 100 fell this morning as equities were hit by a global sell-off in bonds due to growing concerns about rising inflation. London’s blue chip index was down 0.5 per cent at 6,618 points, along with the FTSE 250, which also fell 0.5 per cent. Despite the fall, the FTSE 100 is still set [...]
Insurer RSA posts profit growth ahead of £7.2bn takeover deal February 26, 2021 Insurance group RSA posted a double-digit rise in profit for 2020 ahead of its £7.2bn takeover by a consortium of Canadian and Danish buyers. RSA, which owns brands including More Than, reported operating profit of £751m, up 15 per cent year on year. Group underwriting profit also jumped 36 per cent to a record high [...]
Kalifa Review: Others waiting for UK fintech’s ‘crown to slip’ February 26, 2021 The head of the much-awaited government-backed review into the fintech industry has warned the UK risks falling behind if recommendations aren’t quickly implemented. Former head of payments firm Worldpay Ron Kalifa led the review published today which sets out plans to capitalise on the growing fintech industry. The scope of the review is large, ranging [...]
A catch-up strategy? How Government can give young Brits a boost in Budget 2021 February 26, 2021 A catch-up strategy? How Government can give young Brits a boost in Budget 2021