The future of innovation is fintech – and long let the City’s dominance continue March 13, 2018 Fintech is now the firepower of innovation in the City. Such innovation has driven a complete rethink in how firms, governments, and consumers across the world think about finance. From streamlining capital markets, to debunking traditional insurance practices and offering completely new ways to bank, the UK sector has it all. Read more: Fintech leaders [...]
Buy the company or the product? Consumers understand their favourite brands, so they should buy shares in the firm August 31, 2018 We've all been guilty of being swayed by the hype that surrounds fashionable items. The iPhone X is a perfect example of that. Unphased by the £1,000 price tag, fans pledged their money before the new phone even hit the shelves, while thousands camped outside Apple stores on the day of its release. But let’s [...]
Bitcoin hit an all-time high this morning February 24, 2017 Bitcoin rose to an all-time high this morning according to a widely followed measure, breaking the $1,200 mark for the first time ever before dropping back steeply. The cryptocurrency rose to a peak of $1,206.60 (£960) early on Friday morning, according to Coindesk, which uses measures from multiple exchanges to determine a price. The price [...]
CME Group, the worlds largest futures exchange, agrees deal to acquire Michael Spencer’s Nex for £3.9bn March 29, 2018 CME Group, which operates the world’s largest futures exchange, announced this morning that it has agreed to buy Nex Group, the London-listed tech company which provides electronic trading platforms, for £3.9bn. CME agreed to pay shareholders of Nex – formerly known as Icap – £10 per share, consisting of £5 in cash and 0.0444 CME [...]
Cryptocurrency investors unfazed by recent volatility as they plan to buy more digital currencies March 12, 2018 More than half of investors with exposure to cryptocurrencies are planning to snap up more digital assets over the next 12 months despite recent volatility in the market, a new report suggests. Over the next year, 56 per cent of crypto investors plan to buy more, compared with 31 per cent who plan to retain [...]
Bitcoin has hit yet another record high March 1, 2017 It's another good day to be a bitcoin investor, after it hit another record high ahead of a landmark ruling by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The cryptocurrency rose as high as $1,228.56 in the mid-afternoon, London time – more than two per cent higher. The gain means bitcoin has now risen more than [...]
An old bull market ‘red flag’ is back February 28, 2018 The recent turbulent nature of world markets has inevitably led to speculation as to whether this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the good run share and bond investors have largely enjoyed in the decade or so since the global financial crisis. Many commentators have, however, argued this bull market has further to [...]
Winklevoss bitcoin fund rejected by SEC over fraud concerns March 11, 2017 The US Securities and Exchange Commission has rejected a bitcoin exchange-traded fund's bid to list. The SEC said the fund, founded by the Winklevoss twins, was a fraud risk and that there was a lack of regulation in the world's bitcoin markets. The cryptocurrency surpassed $1,300 in trading yesterday as the market waited for the [...]
Bitcoin explained: What is it? Why has its price risen so much? Will it ever take over from traditional currencies? All your questions answered June 19, 2017 Bitcoin has rocked headlines this year as its price jumped more than 100 per cent to reach all-time highs of over $3,000 – but what actually is it? As the cryptocurrency breaks into the mainstream market, we take you back to basics. What is bitcoin and where did it come from? Bitcoin is a digital [...]
A fintech M&A bonanza drove deal value to its highest level last year, as the UK led the way, says Hampleton Partners February 1, 2018 The UK helped to drive a record six months of fintech mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the second half of last year, as the global deal total hit a new high of $29.35bn (£20.7bn). The announced acquisition of the UK’s Worldpay, by US firm Vantiv, was the largest over the period accounting for a massive [...]