Mortgage payment holidays extended until October May 22, 2020 The financial watchdog has today extended payment holidays to support those struggling to pay their mortgage due to coronavirus. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said banks can extend the mortgage holidays for a further three months up to the end of October. It comes after chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the furlough scheme to October to [...]
Watches of Switzerland beats expectations due to surge in online sales May 14, 2020 Watches of Switzerland saw sales smash £590m in the UK as the luxury group beat expectations for full-year revenue despite the coronavirus shutdown. Despite a slowdown in the last six weeks of the year due to the coronavirus, the firm said revenue had risen 5.9 per cent to £819.3m. The figures In the 46 weeks [...]
The City View: The pandemic-shaped hole in global dividends, with Jane Shoemake of Janus Henderson May 20, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Jane Shoemake, investment director at Janus Henderson’s global dividend index. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS With dividends set to slump between 15 and 35 per cent this year, where should the income investor look? There are a few bright spots and safe havens amid the gloom, but on [...]
The City View: Darwinism and disruption in the tech sector, with Russ Shaw of Tech London Advocates May 18, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates and one of the most well-connected and influential people in the UK’s tech sector. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Russ offers a candid analysis of the state of the sector and explains why not all start-ups will survive the pandemic, and why not [...]
Just Stop Oil offer nothing in the debate over our energy future May 31, 2023 The UK’s energy future and, environmental goals are debates of real consequence, and Just Stop Oil should no longer featured in it.
The lacklustre FCA is in desperate need of regulatory oversight September 18, 2020 It is unlikely that Juvenal, the first century Roman poet, had the Financial Conduct Authority in mind when he famously asked: “Who guards the guards?” A slew of depressingly similar scandals have, however, brought the question of regulatory oversight into sharp relief. Indeed, such has been the extent of the FCA’s negligence and downright incompetence [...]
Coronavirus: Ratings agencies see demand surge as firms try for BoE cash March 31, 2020 Ratings agencies have reported a surge in demand from UK companies as firms try to secure credit ratings that would let them access the Bank of England’s coronavirus bond-buying scheme. However, a significant number of firms expressing interest do not qualify for the money, agencies said. S&P Global Ratings said it has received around 30 [...]
One in seven SME owners using personal savings to keep businesses afloat during pandemic June 10, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic is leading small business owners to take drastic steps to keep their companies afloat, according to a new survey, with one in seven small business owners digging into their own pockets to ensure their business survives. Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK have come under intense pressure during the [...]
Steelworks MP calls for changes to loan scheme after Tata bailout request April 27, 2020 The Labour MP for Aberavon, which contains Tata Steel’s Port Talbot steelworks, has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak asking him to lift the cap on the size of loans large companies can receive to limit the coronavirus damage. Yesterday it was reported that the firm, a subsidiary of giant Indian conglomerate Tata, was seeking £500m [...]
Bounce Back Loans helped SMEs, but we must plan for what comes next October 4, 2020 The launch of the Bounce Back Loan scheme was a watershed moment for hundreds of thousands of SMEs across the country. It gave them what they craved — small loans straight into their bank account, with maximum speed and minimum fuss. For many SMEs, this was the first time they had managed to get financial [...]