Private equity firm Bridgepoint unveils plans for London IPO June 29, 2021 Private equity firm Bridgepoint today unveiled plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, marking the latest boost for the capital’s IPO market. The buyout group, which has around €27.4bn of assets under management across equity and debt funds, said it will seek to sell around a quarter of its shares while a further 15 [...]
NatWest’s Ulster Bank to sell €4.2bn worth of commercial lending to AIB June 28, 2021 The NatWest group and Ulster Bank in the Republic of Ireland (UBIDAC) have agreed with Allied Irish Banks (AIB) to sell the majority of its commercial lending for around €4.2bn. Around 280 workers will transfer from UBIDAC to AIB, one of Ireland’s largest banks, as part of the agreement, with the final number of roles [...]
UK banks’ profits slashed by more than half June 28, 2021 Big UK banks’ profits have slid by more than half over the last year, according to a ranking of the world’s largest lenders published today. UK lenders included in The Banker’s top 1,000 World Banks 2021 experienced a 53 per cent drop in profits. Losses were attributed to the severe damage the pandemic has inflicted [...]
Cloud-based phone system Aircall raises $120m as home working endures June 23, 2021 Cloud-based phone system Aircall has raised $120m in Series D funding led by Goldman Sachs, as demand for the firm’s technology surged during the remote-working boom. The round was led by Goldman Sachs with participation from current investors DTCP, eFounders, Draper Esprit, Adams Street Partners, NextWorld and Gaia Capital Partners. Aircall’s total valuation is more [...]
Watchdog warns Monzo and NatWest over banking transaction history breaches June 22, 2021 Britain’s competition watchdog has issued a warning to banks including Monzo and NatWest over breaching rules requiring them to send banking transaction histories to former account holders. Nearly 150,000 customers were not provided with the necessary information quickly enough, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today. Monzo was responsible for the largest portion of [...]
Goldman Sachs pushes back office return plans after government extends lockdown June 16, 2021 Goldman Sachs has pushed back plans to bring its UK staff back to the office after the government decided to extend the current Covid-19 restrictions for another month. The bank was preparing to bring staff back in June, but told workers overnight that it would delay its plans. A note to staff from Goldman Sachs [...]
Wall Street creeps higher as investors await cues on tapering and inflation June 9, 2021 Wall Street’s main indexes edged higher today but a lack of clear catalysts kept trading slow while investors awaited inflation data and an upcoming Fed meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.2 per cent at the open. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.4 per cent, [...]
Rishi Sunak promises to protect the City from Brussels’ financial services bid June 8, 2021 Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, promised that the City will remain “competitive and dynamic” even in the face of Brussels’ bid to unseat it from its crown, in a private call with banks. Sunak described the financial services industry as a “crown jewel” and, according to reports, said the country will fight to protect it. The [...]
Wall Street flat but FTSE ticks up as investors await inflation data June 7, 2021 Wall Street’s main indexes were muted this afternoon as investors stayed on the fence ahead of key inflation data this week, while tech stocks shrugged off a G7 agreement on a new global corporate tax minimum. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 dipped 0.46 and 0.26 per cent respectively by early evening trading. [...]
Apple staff called back to the office for three days a week June 3, 2021 Apple employees must return to the office for three days a week from September, chief executive Tim Cook has said, as the tech giant signalled an end to the work-from-home era. In a company-wide memo, the Apple boss said: “For all that we’ve been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the [...]