SMMT: New UK car sales rise 11 per cent post-lockdown August 5, 2020 New UK car sales rose for the first time this year in July as dealerships enjoyed their first full month of trading since reopening after lockdown. According to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations rose 11.3 per cent last month as pent-up demand and special offers tempted consumers to [...]
Sowing the seeds for the next stage of fintech success July 27, 2020 Fintech in the UK has grown at breakneck speed. In 2010 it accounted for just four per cent of venture capital investment in the UK. A decade later, this figure has risen to 28 per cent, with a record $4.9bn of capital investment landing in the UK in 2019 — a year-on-year increase of more [...]
Close Brothers’ banking division takes a hit amid pandemic July 22, 2020 Close Brothers Group’s banking division has taken a hit due to the pandemic, as its loan book reflected lower new business volumes. However, securities division Winterflood helped to offset some of the impact of coronavirus due to significantly higher trading, the group said in a scheduled pre-close trading update. The figures In the group’s banking [...]
UK car sales sink 35 per cent in June despite post-lockdown restart July 6, 2020 UK new car sales plunged a third in June despite the easing of lockdown measures, new data showed today, after worse falls in April and May. New car registrations sank 34.9 per cent in June year on year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). But that marked what the body called [...]
FCA to extend coronavirus relief for car finance and high-cost credit July 3, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed extending coronavirus relief measures for consumers with car financing products or high-cost credit until the end of October. The watchdog this morning set out options for supporting consumers with motor finance or high-cost credit products, such as buy now pay later, rent-to-own or pawnbroking. The FCA first introduced [...]
FCA extends credit card payment freeze until October July 1, 2020 A credit card payments freeze could be extended for another three months for customers still suffering from the economic impact of coronavirus, the financial watchdog said today. After imposing a three-month pause on repayments for those struggling amid the fallout of the pandemic on the economy, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said firms must [...]
Aston Martin seeks to raise £152m to bolster finances June 26, 2020 Aston Martin today said it will ask investors to snap up £152m of new shares to help it become roadworthy once more amid sinking sales and the coronavirus pandemic. Britain’s luxury car manufacturer said the equity raise, planned for the end of June, would be equivalent to around 20 per cent of its existing issued [...]
Car production slump continues in May despite factories restarting June 26, 2020 The country’s car manufacturers produced a mere 5,314 vehicles in May as output stalled for the second consecutive month due to coronavirus. New data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that although two-thirds of the country’s car plants restarted work last month, output was severely curtailed due to social distancing requirements [...]
FCA proposes extending coronavirus consumer credit payment holiday June 19, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed allowing consumers to extend a payment freeze on their credit cards by a further three months to support borrowers struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under the proposals from the markets watchdog, those who have not yet asked for a payment freeze on credit cards or for an [...]
OECD: UK economy to take world’s biggest hit from Covid-19 June 10, 2020 The UK will suffer the largest economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic among major nations this year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned. Predicting that the UK economy could contract between 11.5 and 14 per cent in 2020, the organisation said Covid-19 represents the biggest peacetime economic downturn in a century [...]