Speedy vaccinations give more UK SMEs hope of a revenue rebound in 2021 February 19, 2021 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK have been offered a glimpse of hope this morning, as nearly a quarter have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels of output.
UK businesses eye fintech sector to help drive profitability February 18, 2021 A growing number of UK businesses are looking to the burgeoning fintech sector to help boost profits post-Brexit. Britain’s payments startups have seen renewed interest during the pandemic as consumers and businesses pivot online. A third of senior managers surveyed by cybersecurity firm ESET are prioritising improved efficiency and may opt to implement fintech solutions [...]
One in four consumer-facing businesses may ditch staff if furlough ends in April February 18, 2021 A quarter of British businesses expect to fire staff if furlough is not extended beyond April, the British Chambers of Commerce said on Thursday. Results from the latest BCC survey on the impact of coronavirus shows how lockdowns have pushed businesses to the brink. Three in every five firms have seen revenue fall in the [...]
Exclusive: Brewin Dolphin’s CEO on Brexit, pandemic market sentiment and why ESG is not so clear-cut February 18, 2021 As the City comes to terms with a new post-Brexit reality and slowly looks towards a post-pandemic recovery, City A.M sits down with the CEO of one of the Square Mile’s best-known investment managers, Robin Beer of Brewin Dolphin. Beer, who joined the firm in 2008, initially managed the Nottingham office and was regional director [...]
Moneysupermarket profit drops as demand for travel insurance and credit products falls February 18, 2021 Moneysupermarket, the financial services price-comparison platform, suffered a fall in profit and revenue last year as lockdown restrictions caused a drop in demand for insurance and credit products. Moneysupermarket, which also owns the advice website Moneysavingexpert, said profit after tax fell 27 per cent from £94.9m in 2019 to £69.3m last year. Group revenue was [...]
NBA star Chris Webber partners with asset manager to launch $100m cannabis impact fund February 17, 2021 NBA All-Star Chris Webber has partnered with JW Asset Management to launch a $100m private equity fund that will invest in companies led by entrepreneurs of colour working in the cannabis sector. The pair will collaborate to invest in underrepresented entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry and provide them with resources that will help them grow [...]
Maybe analyst recommendations DO add value February 16, 2021 | City Talk This is something all investors know for a fact: following analyst buy or sell recommendations isn’t going to lead to outperformance in the long run. Or is it? A new study may cast some doubt on the conventional wisdom. In “Analyst Recommendations and Anomalies Across the Globe,” Vitor Azevedo and Sebastian Müller, CFA, examine 3.8 million analyst forecasts in [...]
Japan overtakes UK as world’s second largest pension market February 16, 2021 The UK pensions market was overtaken in size by Japan in 2020, pushing the UK to third place. The United States retained its position as the largest pension market in the world, making up 62 per cent of worldwide pensions assets. Japan and the UK represented 6.9 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively. The [...]
Ranked: Monzo tops list of best UK banks as digital services thrive February 15, 2021 Digital fintechs Monzo and First Direct provide better service to customers than traditional banks, according to a recent survey. Ipsos MORI conducted a review of around 1,000 customers from each of the 19 biggest personal current account providers in the UK to rank the best and worst banks. The findings are designed to compare the [...]
FTSE 100 gains despite record slump in UK GDP February 12, 2021 The FTSE 100 pared back its losses this afternoon despite data showing the UK economy shrank by a record 9.9 per cent last year. The figures reflect the damaging economic nature of national lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. Mining and financial stocks led the declines, as the FTSE 250 also dipped by [...]
