Former London Capital & Finance CEO sentenced after splashing hidden funds on pricey Italian getaway and hot tub May 17, 2023 The former CEO of now collapsed London Capital & Finance was handed a suspended sentence today after he was found to have breached an asset freezing order, splashing hidden funds on a holiday, hotel stay and a hot tub. The Serious Fraud Office froze Michael Thomson’s assets as part of its ongoing investigation into suspected [...]
Ailing online estate agent Purplebricks to be sold for just £1 with job cuts expected May 17, 2023 Struggling online estate agent Purplebricks will be sold to rival firm Strike for just £1, the company announced today. After struggling to improve its performance, the firm put itself up for sale in February. The announcement saw Purplebricks’ share price plummet, down 42 per cent at the time of reporting to 76p. Shares have fallen [...]
Russian oil exports reach highest levels since Ukraine invasion as China and India buy up supplies May 16, 2023 Russian oil exports shot up to their highest levels since its invasion of Ukraine, with the majority heading towards China and India, according to the International Energy Agency. In its latest monthly oil report, the Paris-based climate agency said total oil shipments reached “a post-invasion high” in April rising to 8.3m barrels per day (bpd), [...]
“Relationship with a colleague” forces FTSE 100 finance chief to step down May 3, 2023 The chief financial officer at FTSE 100 firm RS Group stepped down today after notifying the company’s board about a relationship with another member of staff. The company, which distributes industrial and electronics products, said that chief financial officer David Egan would leave the business “with immediate effect”. “Very recently I notified the board of [...]
Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders pile pressure on Swiss regulator with second claim over $17bn writedown May 2, 2023 A second major group of Credit Suisse alternative tier 1 (AT1) bondholders is suing the Swiss financial markets regulator, known as Finma, over its decision to write down $17bn-worth of AT1 bonds as part of UBS’s forced takeover of the Swiss bank. Law firm Pallas Partners said today it is working on litigation, filed in [...]
EY faces investigation over audit of Made.com before firm collapsed April 20, 2023 The UK’s audit watchdog has launched an investigation into EY’s audit of Made.com before the firm collapsed late last year. The online furniture business went into administration in November after rescue talks to find a buyer failed. The Financial Reporting Council announced today that it will start investigating EY’s audit of the firm’s accounts for [...]
Better together: HSBC defends status quo as Ping An pushes for break up April 19, 2023 The ongoing row between HSBC and Chinese insurer Ping An continued today as HSBC hit back to defend its position that spinning off the bank’s Asia business would weaken the lender. Ping An, which holds an eight per cent stake in the bank, has long argued in favour of hiving off HSBC’s Asian unit, which [...]
Credit Suisse in High Court tomorrow: Bank sued over securities linked to 2008 crisis April 19, 2023 Credit Suisse is set to appear at the High Court in London on Thursday to defend itself against a $160m (£129m) claim over allegations the Swiss bank made “fraudulent misrepresentations” related to the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities. The claim, brought by Loreley Financing, a subsidiary of German bank IKB, argues it was misled by [...]
EY’s US unit to cut 3,000 jobs after failed split – but UK division won’t follow suit April 17, 2023 EY’s US unit announced today that it will cut some 3,000 jobs after the Big Four accounting firm dropped its plan to separate its consulting and audit divisions. EY’s global executive committee announced last week that it had ditched the plan, known as ‘Project Everest’, following opposition from the US unit. EY’s US unit today said [...]
Row between Viceroy and Labour MP escalates as short seller files complaint with parliament April 17, 2023 A row between short seller Viceroy Research and Labour MP Liam Byrne escalated today after the short seller lodged a complaint with parliament after Byrne suggested that the firm has ties to the Kremlin. In a parliamentary debate last month, the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill called for an investigation into “the activities of short-selling [...]
