What Brexit means for London’s insurance industry June 24, 2016 The UK's decision to leave the EU might not immediately cause serious damage to London's reputation in the insurance industry, but the result does raise serious questions around regulation and access to the wider market. In a statement released shortly after the result of the vote was revealed, Lloyd’s chairman John Nelson said that he was "confident" [...]
Mary Francis joins Barclays as a non-executive director June 28, 2016 A former senior independent director of Centrica has today been appointed a non-executive director at Barclays. Mary Francis, who is currently serving on the board at Swiss Re Group and has previously held non-executive positions at Aviva, Cable & Wireless Communications, the Bank of England and Alliance & Leicester, will join the board of the bank at [...]
Firing on all fronts. Leicester is voted Britain’s greatest sporting city August 23, 2016 Leicester City may be making a stuttering start to their defence of the Premier League title but last season's heroics helped them jump to the top of the UK's greatest sporting cities of 2016. Leaping 17 places and pushing Manchester down to second place, Leicester's success wasn't just down to its football team. Leicester Tigers made the Aviva Premiership rugby [...]
Aberdeen property fund is open for business again July 13, 2016 Aberdeen has re-opened its property fund, after it suspended trading due to heavy outflows, draining the fund's cash reserves. The fund was one of six that closed after investors scrambled to get their cash back due to uncertainty about UK property after the Brexit vote. Read more: Property fund to sell Oxford Street property to meet [...]
Canada Life re-opens its property fund as the commercial property market shows “stabilisation” after the Brexit vote September 1, 2016 Canada Life has re-opened its commercial property funds after investors withdrew cash in the wake of the Brexit vote – but the firm has admitted its property valuations may be inaccurate due to current market conditions. When investors scrambled to take out money from property funds at the end of June, Canada Life and several other firms were [...]
Welcome back: Aberdeen Asset Management lifts suspension on property fund July 13, 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management has today lifted the suspension on its property fund, one week after several asset managers put the brakes on their funds. Last week, Aberdeen announced that it would be suspending trades on its Aberdeen UK Property Fund and the Aberdeen UK Property Feeder Unit Trust to protect the value of the fund for [...]
Henderson becomes fourth firm to close commercial property fund July 6, 2016 Henderson Global Investors has suspended trading in its commercial property funds, the latest in a series of closures as companies combat investor panic. The company said it has temporarily suspended all trading in the Henderson UK Property PAIF and the Henderson UK Property PAIF Feeder Fund to "safeguard the interests of all investors". "Despite a strong underlying portfolio, the [...]
Bank of England was warned over property fund trading suspensions after Brexit July 12, 2016 The Bank of England was warned that property funds could be suspended in the aftermath of a Brexit vote. The Financial Policy Committee (FPC), which is chaired by BoE governor Mark Carney, was briefed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that the “extent of outflows from these funds and on the possibility that funds could suspend [...]
Insurers expected to have weathered the Brexit vote storm August 7, 2016 Insurers are expected to reveal they have navigated referendum uncertainty just fine when they announce their half-year results next week. Pensions, investments and insurance giant Standard Life will reveal how it has performed in the first six months of 2016 on Tuesday, as will Legal & General. Meanwhile, results are due from Prudential on Wednesday and from [...]
Investor confidence index drops to four-year low after Brexit vote July 11, 2016 Investor confidence has hit a four-year low after the EU referendum result, according to one index. The Hargreaves Lansdown Investor Confidence Index experienced its sharpest monthly fall in five years at the end of June. The index fell from 92 points in May to 67 on 30 June, its lowest value since May 2012, a [...]