At the open: FTSE 100 clinging on, as markets look ahead to European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate and quantitative easing decision April 21, 2016 The FTSE 100 popped, dropped then levelled off this morning, to stand down 0.06 per cent at 6,406 in the first minutes of Thursday trading. Miners started on the up after Brent Crude smashed through the $45 a barrel mark last night and held on this morning to clock in for the day at $45.84 [...]
HM Revenue & Customs heaves deep sigh, promises it’s looking into the Panama Papers April 4, 2016 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said it will "closely examine" data it receives from the so-called Panama Papers leak, and vowed to act on it "swiftly and appropriately". In a statement following a massive leak last night of papers from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which purport to reveal how some of the world's [...]
Brace yourself, bosses: Leading investor reveals it shot down resolutions at almost one in five AGMs last year April 25, 2016 As companies such as Shire and AstraZeneca brace themselves for a rocky AGM season, one major asset manager has today revealed that it has been voting no for some time now. Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), which held assets worth over £750bn at the end of 2015, has revealed that it shot down at least one resolution at [...]
City Moves for 5 April 2016 | Who’s switching jobs April 5, 2016 Bevan Brittan Law firm Bevan Brittan has announced that Joanne Easterbrook has been appointed senior partner with effect from 1 May 2016. Joanne succeeds Bethan Evans in the post, who is returning to full-time local government client work. Joanne is a highly experienced partner and recognised specialist, leading the firm’s clinical risk practice and counting [...]
HSBC’s domicile just got serious – Bottom Line June 9, 2015 A month ago, HSBC’s plan to consider leaving the UK seemed to be going nowhere – it generated a lot of heat, but little light. The consensus was that the giant bank was a cry baby, throwing its toys out of the pram over taxes and charges it didn’t like. It would soon tire of [...]
HSBC to rebrand UK retail banking arm – or possibly sell it June 9, 2015 HSBC will rebrand its UK retail banking arm as part of a move to ring-fence it from the rest of the group. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver, who this morning revealed HSBC was cutting 25,000 jobs worldwide, of which 8,000 are expected to be UK jobs, said he was not certain he would keep the [...]
HSBC cleans up at Standard Chartered Great City Race despite Tube strike grumbles July 9, 2015 Bankers braved the heat in Old Street yesterday competing in the annual Standard Chartered Great City Race, raising funds for sight charity Seeing is Believing. Just under 5,000 runners from 350 City firms took part in the 5km run around the Square Mile. Not content with winning at Wednesday’s Corporate Challenge with JP Morgan, HSBC’s [...]
Public hungry for challenger banks, research finds May 16, 2016 Challenger banks are gaining traction as consumers want to see smaller players competing against the sector's established names, a new research has found. Figures from Netherlands-based Triodos bank indicate that just over three quarters (77%) of UK adults say that greater competition from challenger banks should be encouraged. A total of 49 per cent say that challengers could differ by providing [...]
Say what? EU referendum week gets off to a stonking start as sterling and FTSE close higher – pushed up by banking and housebuilding shares June 20, 2016 Investors may have been bracing themselves for a disastrous pre-referendum week – but things got off to a pretty good start today, with sterling hitting its highest since May, and banking shares bouncing back after a less-than-impressive performance last week. The FTSE 100 closed three per cent per cent higher – soaring above 6,000 points to hit 6,204. Meanwhile, the pound [...]
EU referendum: A Brexit doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom for London’s property market – fortune will favour the brave May 31, 2016 While a vote to leave the EU on 23 June looks less likely by the day, landlords, letting agents and corporate relocation specialists shouldn’t worry too much about a Brexit. Whether we wake up on the 24 June ‘in’ or ‘out’ of Europe, it will be several months before the true consequences of either outcome become clear. [...]