Time to take a Milei-style chainsaw to the nanny state February 6, 2026 Ask any business what is the biggest barrier to growth and time and again they will tell you it’s regulation, says Jamila Robertson In a recent talk at the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), the former Bank of England Governor, Lord King, reflected that the Bank of England staff had risen from 2,000 to 5,000 [...]
Car finance compensation could be the spend signal that boosts the economy February 6, 2026 When consumers receive cash that corrects a past wrong, they use it to replace cars, clear household bills, book holidays and support small businesses. That spending ripples through the economy far faster than most top-down interventions, says Brandon Lewis When bankers were finally forced to confront the true scale of the Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) [...]
Bank of England raises alarm on unemployment as interest rates unchanged February 5, 2026 The Bank of England has held interest rates but policymakers warned that the spiralling unemployment rate and weak growth was weighing down on price growth. In its decision on Thursday, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 to leave interest rates at 3.75 per cent. But economists warned that unemployment could jump higher over the [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Driver UK Multi-Compartment S.A., Compartment Driver UK eleven February 5, 2026 KBRA UK (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to two classes of notes issued by Driver UK Multi-Compartment S.A., acting for and on behalf of its Compartment Driver UK eleven (Driver UK 11), a United Kingdom auto loan receivables ABS transaction. Credit enhancement on the notes is comprised of overcollateralisation, subordination, a cash reserve account and excess [...]
Clearwater Analytics and TreasurySpring Announce Platform Integration for Fixed-Term Cash Management February 5, 2026 Integration Enables Institutional Clients to Optimize Surplus Cash Returns with Predictable Maturity Matching
Ageing workforce puts London’s specialty insurance sector at risk February 5, 2026 London’s specialty (re)insurance market employs around 61,000 people, but despite this, the sector is facing a ‘critical’ talent shortage. According to data from the trade body, the London Market Group (LMG), that headcount is up 3 per cent since 2022, but the sector is expected to require around 82,200 by the end of 2034. The [...]
Everest Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results February 4, 2026 Annual Net Income of $1.6 billion and Net Operating Income of $1.9 billion Annual 10.5% Net Income ROE and 12.4% Net Operating Income ROE; TSR of 13.1% Repurchased $397 million of Common Shares During the Quarter
Quality over quantity: UK M&A volume slips but deal value climbs February 4, 2026 UK merger and acquisition deal value increased last year despite a fall in volumes as investors turned their focus to acquiring fewer, higher-quality assets. The total number of UK deals fell 12 per cent year on year to 2,991, down from 3,411 in 2024, according to the latest industry trends data from PwC. But overall [...]
Service sector sees longest run of job losses in 16 years February 4, 2026 A new survey suggests that the UK service sector has endured its longest sustained period of job losses in 16 years, despite rising business activity at the start of the year. Employment in the service sector has decreased in each month since October 2024, according to S&P’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI), with the pace of [...]
Zurich to acquire Beazley in landmark £8bn specialty insurance merger February 4, 2026 Following two previous rejections last month, Lloyd’s of London underwriter Beazley has confirmed in a joint statement on Wednesday morning that it has reached an agreement in principle with Zurich. The offer proposed by Zurich has a total value of 1,335 pence per share. This is composed of a 1,310p cash payment from Zurich and [...]