UK digital advertising spend jumps to £13bn as brands opt for smartphone ads April 24, 2019 Digital advertising spend hit £13.4bn last year as smartphone adverts overtook desktop for the first time, new figures have revealed. Data from digital advertising body IAB and PwC show UK ad spend jumped 15 per cent in 2018 amid a boom in digital formats. Read more: Digital advertising firm Teads posts double-digit revenue rise Ad [...]
Debenhams owners to outline plans to shut 20 stores April 23, 2019 Debenhams is poised to outline plans this week to bring forward the closure of 20 of its stores, according to Sky News. The new owners of the department store chain, which include Barclays and hedge fund Silver Point, will launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) in the next 48 hours that will allow it to [...]
Barclays shareholders urged to vote against executive pay over ‘inadequate’ response to whistleblowing scandal April 23, 2019 Barclays shareholders have been urged to vote against executive pay plans after the bank’s “inadequate” response to a whistleblowing scandal involving chief executive Jes Staley. Shareholder advisory group ISS criticised the measures taken by the bank following Staley’s attempts to unmask a whistleblower in 2016 and advised shareholders to vote down the remuneration report at [...]
Travelex-owner Finablr to raise $200m in London listing April 16, 2019 The owner of foreign exchange company Travelex today announced its intention to raise $200m (£153m) in a float on the London Stock Exchange. United Arab Emirates-headquartered payments and foreign exchange business Finablr said it expects to raise $200m with plans for a free float of at least 25 per cent of the company. The company’s brands [...]
Can European banks be saved by mergers and a fresh round of deal making? April 16, 2019 The comparisons with US peers just got a lot harder for European banks after a strong showing from JP Morgan to kick off earnings season. But could there be fresh revenue on the way for European investment banks, even if it is of their own making? There’s a mooted capital raising for Deutsche Bank before [...]
Activist Bramson implores Barclays shareholders for seat on board in new letter April 15, 2019 Activist investor Ed Bramson has once again appealed to Barclays’ shareholders to give him a seat on its board in the run up to the bank’s 2 May annual general meeting. Read more: Barclays launches another attack on Bramson as public tit-for-tat rolls on Bramson’s company, Sherborne Investors, today sent a letter to Barclays shareholders, marking [...]
Barclays to restructure 460 UK jobs and cut more than 50 roles April 9, 2019 Barclays is set to carry out a restructuring plan that will slash around 54 roles and impact at least 400 more across the UK. A Barclays spokesperson said while the bank will relocate a number of operations and technology roles, it is not reducing the overall number of jobs overall, except in a few cases of duplication, and will remain [...]
String of banks appointed as Travelex-owner Finablr weighs London float April 9, 2019 Payments company Finablr said today it was examining a London initial public offering (IPO) and had engaged a raft of top banks to act as underwriters and advisers. The United Arab Emirates-based company, which processed $114.5bn (£87.6bn) of payments in 2018, published a registration documents today and said it was weighing a $200m IPO. Read [...]
Santander and Barclays face lawsuits over film financing schemes April 8, 2019 Santander and Barclays are facing lawsuits from investors in failed film financing schemes. Santander could be sued for the role of legacy bank Alliance & Leicester’s role in part-funding the Imagine film financing scheme while Barclays is beng targeted over a similar scheme known as Timeless Releasing. Read more: HSBC sued for £150m in relation [...]
Jury discharged in trial of senior Barclays executives accused of financial crisis fraud April 8, 2019 The jury in the trial of four former senior Barclays executive accused of fraud for their part in a financial crisis-era emergency fundraising was discharged today. The high-profile case marks the first time senior bankers have faced court in a case related to the 2008-09 financial crash. In October the High Court quashed an attempt by [...]