Softbank’s second Vision fund hit by failed Wework IPO October 4, 2019 Softbank founder and chief executive Masayoshi Son is struggling to raise money for a second technology investment fund following the failed public offering of office space provider Wework. Son is preparing to go-ahead with the Vision Fund 2, despite advice to delay, according to Reuters. However, the fund is likely to be smaller than the [...]
Thomas Cook: CBI backs probe into executive pay after collapse September 24, 2019 Influential business lobby group the CBI has thrown its weight behind a full-scale inquiry into executive pay at collapsed holiday giant Thomas Cook. Nearly 15,000 people returned to Britain yesterday on specially-chartered flights after the firm collapsed under the weight of a £1.7bn debt pile. More than 100,000 people are still awaiting repatriation by the [...]
Thomas Cook: Watchdog mulls whether to probe collapsed airline’s accounts September 24, 2019 Britain’s accounting watchdog is looking into investigating whether Thomas Cook breached accounting standards, after the travel giant collapsed yesterday. Nearly 15,000 people returned to Britain yesterday on specially-chartered flights after the firm collapsed under the weight of a £1.7bn debt pile. Read more: Was the collapse of Thomas Cook inevitable? The Financial Reporting Council said [...]
Could this pro-Brexit economist be what Threadneedle Street needs? September 24, 2019 Gerard Lyons’ candidacy for governor of the Bank of England may look like a pro-Brexit ploy, a way to sneak Boris Johnson’s optimism into a pessimistic institution. But Lyons – who has never worked in a central bank, served as Johnson’s chief economic adviser when the now-Prime Minister was mayor of London, and was previously [...]
Insurance industry wrestles with diversity deficit September 23, 2019 It is fair to say the insurance industry has not had the best year reputation-wise. In March an explosive Bloomberg story lifted the lid on a culture of drinking and sexual harassment at Lloyd’s of London – the beating heart of the UK’s insurance industry. Tomorrow, Lloyd’s chief executive John Neal will unveil a report [...]
Can you Brexit-proof your investment portfolio? September 16, 2019 The future of Brexit is unknown, but investors and traders need to be proactive if they are to avoid any sudden shocks. Here’s how you might Brexit-proof your investment portfolio. The UK hasn’t left the EU yet, but Brexit is already wielding its influence over the financial markets. For the past three years, investors and traders [...]
Taiwan ready and able to be a part of UN family September 16, 2019 Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, argues it is time for the country to be welcomed into the United Nations Earlier this year, President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) travelled through New York, an icon of diversity and freedom and home to the United Nations, as a prelude to her state visit to [...]
Battersea Power Station secures £600m funding for regeneration project September 12, 2019 Battersea Power Station has secured a £600m debt facility from its existing lenders to help finance the third phase of its redevelopment plan. The developer behind the project said it had agreed the funding with a consortium of financial institutions led by Standard Chartered. Read more: Battersea Power Station opens Coaling Jetty to the public [...]
Audit bigwigs say lack of timetable for reform of troubled regulator is ‘a concern’ September 11, 2019 The heads of two leading audit bodies have expressed concern about perceived government inaction on the reform of the troubled accountancy regulator. Chief executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Michael Izza, said slow progress on the reform of the Financial Regulatory Council (FRC) “is something of a concern”. Ian Peters, [...]
England will have to go the extra mile to win the Rugby World Cup September 11, 2019 If England needed any reminding of the logistical hurdles to winning the World Cup, they received it on Monday when they were held up at Tokyo Narita Airport for six hours on their arrival to Japan due to travel chaos caused by Typhoon Faxai. Eddie Jones’s side already had one of the most demanding schedules [...]