Ollie Phillips: Improving France will dethrone Six Nations favourites England – and empty stadiums will help Les Bleus February 6, 2021 It’s easy to see why England have been installed as the favourites for the Six Nations, which starts this weekend. But they aren’t my tip. Yes, England are the holders, having prevailed in an interrupted 2020 championship that finally concluded in October. They then won the Autumn Nations Cup, beating France in the process – [...]
Insurer Hastings to pay dividend despite Bank of England warning April 15, 2020 Hastings said today it would go ahead with its planned dividend despite a warning from the Bank of England to the insurance industry to think carefully before paying out cash to shareholders. Car insurer Hastings said it did not offer any lines affected by coronavirus such as travel or business interruption insurance. Hastings also said [...]
City fund managers discuss post-pandemic opportunities, with NatWest, Lloyds and BP topping the list April 28, 2021 As the economy slowly recovers from what has been a dramatic year, and investors gradually dare to think again about growth and investment, City A.M. checked in with a number of prominent Square Mile-based fund mangers to find out where they spot opportunities as London’s investment community starts to shake off the pandemic. Banking, energy [...]
Former Aviva boss pay halved in 2018 as insurers gets tough on bonuses but could still net a further £4m March 26, 2019 Former Aviva chief executive Mark Wilson had his pay more than halved last year but could net a further £4.1m after quitting the insurance giant. Wilson, who was brought in to turnaround the business in 2013, stepped down in October last year after the company decided it needed new leadership to boost shareholder value. Read [...]
The City View: Beyoncé’s former manager on why classic hits are a hot asset class August 18, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian talks to music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, a former manager of acts including Elton John and Beyoncé whose FTSE-listed investment firm has just hit a £1bn market cap after snapping up the rights to hits including Livin’ on a Prayer, Back to Black, Uptown Funk, Single Ladies and Don’t Stop Believing. [...]
Could ditching the office make us all poorer? November 12, 2020 While we have in many ways adjusted to life in a pandemic, the profoundly disorientating changes we’ve seen since the initial nationwide lockdown are stark. The “death of the office” narrative has persisted through the easing and then reimposing of lockdown restrictions, and while no one can predict exactly how this will play out, it [...]
The City View: Euan Blair on why apprenticeships are key to unlocking talent August 14, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Euan Blair, co-founder of tech firm Whitehat which matches apprentices with employers including Facebook, Morgan Stanley and other blue chip giants. Euan is on a mission to change the way people think about apprenticeships and to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people [...]
FTSE 100 dividend payouts fall to lowest level in nearly a decade September 29, 2020 Dividend payouts by FTSE 100 firms have dropped to their lowest point in nearly a decade as the pandemic forces companies to slash payments. Dividend payments for FTSE 100 firms are forecast to plunge 24 per cent this year, according to AJ Bell. It follows an 11 per cent drop in 2019, leaving the total [...]
Got an HSBC account? It’s time to show your support for the people of Hong Kong November 3, 2020 British consumers have faced a tough few months — but for those banking with HSBC, times may be about to get tougher still. Following a reported 35 per cent fall in its quarterly profits, HSBC has announced that it might have to start charging its customers for basic services such as current accounts British customers [...]
City Moves for 21 January – who’s switching jobs at Superunion, Opengamma and Aviva? January 21, 2019 Who’s changing jobs today? Superunion WPP global brand agency Superunion announced the appointment of Holly Maguire as UK managing director to drive the growth of its UK business. Holly will be responsible for managing key client relationships with the likes of Coca-Cola, IAG, Nestle, Tesco and Vodafone, and building the success of Superunion since its launch [...]