Barclays’ Antony Jenkins under fire as share price plunges 6.52 per cent June 26, 2014 Barclays shares dived yesterday as shareholders panicked that the lender could face another huge legal bill over claims it lied to investors using its dark pool trading facilities. It is the latest in a series of scandals hitting the bank, and these claims are particularly damaging as the alleged wrongdoing occurred on the [...]
Seven threats that could derail London’s position as a top city March 24, 2014 LONDON is at the top of its game. It is not only the commercial, financial, cultural and political capital of the UK but a great city-state, a global metropolis which attracts the world’s best and brightest. But here are seven risks to London’s supremacy; all must be tackled or avoided if we are to prevent [...]
M&S profit falls less than expected as Bolland stresses step by step approach May 20, 2014 Marks and Spencer has reported a fall in profits for the third year in a row: in the year ended in March, the store saw a 3.9 per cent decrease in underlying pre-tax profit, to £623m. That is, however, considerably better than the 7.5 per cent drop analysts have been predicting. Pressured chief executive Marc [...]
Why the government will need to cut more “green crap” to save British industry March 11, 2014 The pressure for the government to cut more green levies is growing, ahead of next week’s Budget. Major trade bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry, the manufacturers’ organisation EEF and the Institute of Directors have already warned that charges such as the carbon price floor – that taxes fossil fuel emissions – are making [...]
Recruiters cheer soaring pay for jobs in London March 6, 2014 MORE recruiters in London are reporting rising salaries for newly advertised jobs than at any point in the last six and a half years, suggesting that a rapidly firming labour market is finally starting to drive up wages. Only three per cent of consultancies said that starting salaries were falling during February, against 28 per cent [...]
Who’s afraid of a little energy market competition? March 24, 2014 The debate around competition in the energy market is hotting up. The regulators are due to give their assessment of the market later this week, along with a possible recommendation to refer the investigation to the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). Consumer group Which? and the Federation of Small Businesses have written a joint letter [...]
Why Barclays thinks European investors are missing out to US peers March 24, 2014 At the moment, European equities are, as a whole, pretty cheap. And what’s more, those with higher leverage are even cheaper. That’s according to Barclays, whose note today, “Learning to live with leverage”, details why it thinks European equity investors are still underestimating the impact of improved fixed income markets. The bank thinks there’s a [...]
Over half of UK businesses to raise pay this year January 27, 2014 Over half of UK firms are planning to raise wages over the coming year, according to a study by Barclays. 57 per cent of the 684 businesses surveyed say they’ll up wages, with 39 per cent planning increases across the board. Kevin Wall, co-head of corporate banking origination at Barclays, said: After an extended [...]
Why more young people than ever are living with their parents January 21, 2014 (ONS) Over a quarter of British adults between the ages of 20 and 34 were living with their parents last year – that’s 3.3m people and the biggest increase since the crisis, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Increasing living costs and job pressures carry on preventing people from moving out. [...]
Why Britain must reject Miliband’s arbitrary economic jingoism May 12, 2014 BRITAIN has a proud tradition of putting scientific inventions to commercial use – from the fire extinguisher to Beta blockers, used to treat high blood pressure. Both may be needed to defuse rising political tension over Pfizer’s bid to take over Astrazeneca. Ed Miliband’s shallow resort to populist protectionism threatens the rule of law, and [...]