Softbank-backed fintech Oneconnect chooses New York over Hong Kong for IPO November 14, 2019 Oneconnect, the fintech arm of Chinese financial conglomerate Ping An, has chosen New York over Hong Kong for the launch of its initial public offering (IPO). The company, which is backed by Softbank, filed a prospectus for an IPO on Wednesday and plans to list its shares on NASDAQ. Read more: Alibaba poised to launch [...]
First Group shares sink as losses widen after Greyhound charge November 14, 2019 First Group’s share price sank today as it fell to a £187m half-year loss as transport charges hobbled the firm while doubts weigh over the future of its West Coast Rail franchise. Read more: CMA flags competition concerns on 21 West Coast Rail franchise routes The figures The transport giant fell to a loss before [...]
How can you stop your credit card being sexist? November 14, 2019 Can a credit card be sexist? It’s not a question most people would have thought about before this week, but on Monday, the US financial regulator announced an investigation into claims of gender discrimination by Apple Card. The algorithms Apple Card used to set credit limits are, it has been reported, inherently biased against women. [...]
General Election 2019: Boris Johnson promises “pent-up tidal wave” of new investment after Brexit November 13, 2019 Boris Johnson has promised voters there is a “pent-up tidal wave” of new investment waiting to flow into the UK once Brexit is done. Speaking from Coventry after visiting flood-hit communities in Yorkshire, the Prime Minister claimed the country would benefit from “tens of millions” that is being held back because of uncertainty. Johnson’s Brexit “is ready [...]
Shop Direct gets £75m injection from Barclay brothers as it looks to plug PPI funding hole November 13, 2019 Shop Direct has been given a £75m equity injection from its parent company as it looks to plug a funding gap from the cost of recent payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints. The online retailer owned by the billionaire Barclay brothers said today that £75m will be invested by way of an equity injection before the [...]
Gap between Tory and Labour tax plans hits its biggest in a generation November 13, 2019 The Conservatives and Labour’s plans for taxes are the most different in a generation, a new report has said, with a “tax pledge gap” of £60bn set to become a key election battleground. Labour is expected to call for tax increases of at least £50bn a year in its manifesto, while the Conservatives’ are likely [...]
Banks are under threat – and this time it’s personal November 13, 2019 The launch of Uber Money, which provides payment and banking services to the company’s drivers, is an example of the next big trend in banking — the rise of the so-called “non-bank”. The establishment of a financial product for non-banks goes beyond simple revenue growth. It is about establishing loyalty, and in the case of Uber, loyalty [...]
The vote-winning power of tax cuts November 12, 2019 As theGeneral Election clunks into gear, it’s already clear what Labour’s approach will be: promise to spend literally all the money. The Tories put out a dossier at the weekend costing the opposition’s pledges at a jaw-dropping £1.2 trillion. You can quibble with the detail, but it’s pretty clear that under John McDonnell’s guidance, the [...]
London startup Zego gains first ever licence for UK insurtech November 12, 2019 An insurance startup aimed at the gig economy today said it is the first insurtech firm in the UK to secure an insurance licence. Zego, which offers flexible insurance to freelance workers such as drivers for Uber or riders for Deliveroo, said it was awarded the licence by the Gibraltarian regulator. Chief executive Sten Saar [...]
City A.M. Awards 2019: Meet the winners November 8, 2019 The great and the good of the City gathered in the heart of the Square Mile last night to toast the successes of their peers at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in St Paul’s for City A.M.’s 10th annual awards. Guests enjoyed champagne from Chapel Down at the BA London City reception as host Julia Hartley [...]