Six Nations 2016: Ireland will win according to complex mathematical formula from insurance group QBE February 4, 2016 Ireland have the best chance of winning this year's Six Nations to claim a record third title in a row, according to a complex mathematical formula devised by insurance firm QBE. Actuaries usually tasked with predicting the impact of catastrophes such as earthquakes and floods have devised a mathematical formula to predict the outcome of [...]
Editor’s Interview: Christian May meets Labour’s mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan February 4, 2016 Clement Attlee dominates one wall in the meeting room of the Khan campaign HQ. I’m reading the plaque when Labour’s mayoral candidate bursts into the room. “Funny story,” he says, “you’ll like this.” He offers a handshake and points to the portrait at the same time. “The only reason that’s here is because the party can’t [...]
City Moves for 4 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 4, 2016 Alpha Capital Markets Financial trading company Alpha Capital Markets has announced a new executive team. Muhammad Rasoul has been appointed the new chief executive, Kurt Hoeksema is chief trader and risk officer, and sales duo Roger Hambury and Scott Sandat are heads of global sales. They will join current executive chairman, Tony Afram and chief operating [...]
XL Group profit jumps in 2015 following acquisition of Lloyd’s insurer Catlin February 3, 2016 Insurer XL Group has reported profit of $228.5m (£156.6m) for the final quarter of 2015, up from $139.5m in the same period of 2014, while profit for the full year increased to $1.2bn from $188.3m in the preceding 12 months. The Dublin-based, New York-listed firm, which purchased Lloyd's insurer Catlin Group for £2.7bn last year, posted gross [...]
Index Ventures has a new $550m VC investment fund and its eye on London tech startups February 3, 2016 Europe's biggest venture capital investor and the backer of star startups such as Just Eat, Asos and Transferwise has raised millions of pounds in new funds to invest in tech startups across Europe, the US and Israel. Index Ventures has raised a new $550m (£377m) fund from its existing long-standing investor base which includes endowments, pensions and insurance funds, among [...]
The 20 best perks firms like Netflix, Spotify, Facebook and Google offer their employees February 3, 2016 We spend most of our waking hours in the office, so it’s no surprise we’d want that time to pass by as enjoyably as possible. Careers website Glassdoor has surveyed employees to find the best perks available, and according to the recruiter, more than half, some 57 per cent, argue that perks are among their [...]
Zurich Insurance Group share price down as insurance company’s risk chief reveals in an interview that it may narrow down some of its business after being knocked back by claims February 3, 2016 A member of Zurich Insurance Group's management has stated that the insurer is looking to slim its business after taking on more claims than expected last year. In an interview with Bloomberg, which was published this morning, Cecilia Reyes, Zurich's risk chief, said: "We were surprised, obviously, by the poor underwriting results in the general insurance [...]
UK adults expecting a big windfall from inheritance are set to be sorely disappointed, with one in ten mistakenly believing that the payout they predict will fund their retirement February 3, 2016 UK adults are routinely overestimating how much they stand to inherit, while also shunning valuable discussions about financial planning with older relatives. According to figures shown exclusively to City A.M. by VouchedFor, people expect to receive an average of £127,454 from inheritances, and one in ten believe that they are set to receive an inheritance [...]
Arthur J Gallagher reports jump in revenue driven by brokerage and risk management performances February 2, 2016 US insurance broker Arthur J Gallagher has posted 10 per cent growth in revenue for the final quarter of 2015, up to $1.03bn (£715bn) from $938.4m in the same period of 2014. For the full year, revenue was up 17 per cent, from $3.5bn to $4.1bn. The Illinois-based company, which has its UK headquarters in [...]
This is how addicted we are to our smartphones: One in three millennials have walked into something while looking at their phone February 2, 2016 Ever walked headfirst into a lamp post because you were focusing less on your surroundings than on following an unfolding Twitter debate on your phone? If you’re under 30 years old, chances are your answer is yes, according to a new study on millennials’ smartphone habits which reveals the (terrifying) full extent of our phone [...]