US private equity giant Carlyle reshuffles its top team in Europe April 3, 2019 US private equity firm Carlyle has shaken up its executive team in Europe. One of its most senior female executives Zeina Bain left the private equity player on Friday and is joining UK fund manager ICG, the Financial Times reported. Read more: Carlyle Group to buy insurance service Sedgwick for £5.1bn Bain was at Carlyle [...]
Germany could get up to 5,000 new finance jobs in the next 18 months because of Brexit April 3, 2019 Up to 5,000 new jobs at overseas banks in Germany could be created in the next year to 18 month because of Brexit, the country’s foreign banking association said today. The lobby group for non-German banks in Germany told an event in Frankfurt that almost 50 financial institutions had decided to ramp up their activities [...]
US services sector continues its trend of solid growth April 3, 2019 US services sector growth weakened in March but continued its three-year long run of expansion, data released today showed. Read more: Eurozone services sector grows faster than expected Business expectations dropped to the lowest level since December 2017, however, as firms highlighted concerns about global trade tensions, economic growth worries and intense competition. The US services business [...]
Six tips to protect your portfolio during a market downturn April 3, 2019 When equity markets took a turn for the worse towards the end of last year, the onslaught of predictions about the end of the 10-year bull run came flooding in. With the markets creeping upwards since the start of 2019, it now seems that expectations of a bear market were premature. Even experienced fund managers [...]
Breakdown group AA blames investments for profit slump April 3, 2019 Breakdown and insurance firm AA said today that its profit before tax for the year ended January 2019 fell more than 60 per cent to £53m. The figures The company said its steep profit drop was a result of a £26m investment in its roadside and insurance business and said it was distorted by a [...]
Nouriel Roubini interview (Part I): Expect a ‘synchronised slowdown’ in 2019 April 2, 2019 When Nouriel Roubini talks, it’s worth a listen. Not known for his optimism, the well-known American economist bears the moniker ‘Dr Doom’. CFA Institute spoke to him to get his take on topics including the prospects for global growth and technologies. CFA Institute: When you spoke to us in 2015, roughly six years after the [...]
Aviva and Sesame Bankhall invest £5m in new blockchain mortgage platform April 2, 2019 A new fintech mortgage platform has secured £5m seed funding from Aviva and Sesame Bankhall in a bid to transform the market. Acre – a next-generation mortgage and insurance platform – has announced £5m seed funding from insurance giant Aviva and financial advisor Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG). Read more: Monzo backer Accel stumps up $30m for Chainalysis' [...]
UK Asset Resolution sells Northern Rock loans for £4.9bn April 2, 2019 The UK Government’s “bad bank”, which was set up in the wake of the financial crisis, has sold £4.9bn of former Northern Rock loans to Citi. UK Asset Resolution, which took on the closed mortgage books of Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley after the crash, said that the fair treatment of customers was a [...]
Generation Rent needs more help to buy property, not Help to Buy April 2, 2019 Britain is not yet a nation of renters – but it’s getting there. Half of children are now born in rented accommodation, versus a third back in 2003-4. The number of families renting with children has doubled in a decade, according to the insurance provider Royal London. Meanwhile, new analysis shows that the government’s Help [...]
Veteran investor Michael Spencer in funding boost for femtech startup Elvie March 31, 2019 Former Conservative Party treasurer Michael Spencer is reportedly leading a funding round for female health start-up Elvie. Spencer’s private investment vehicle IPGL is backing the company with an investment worth around £20m, Sky reported this evening. Read more: Nex Group founder to invest millions in blood testing startup Elvie, which last year partnered with the [...]