HSBC pledges not to close more branches until 2026 August 11, 2024 HSBC has pledged not to close any more of its branches until at least 2026 as regulators and politicians ramp up efforts to ensure access to cash and in-person banking services.
Will private equity set its sights on AJ Bell, M&G or River Global after the Hargreaves Lansdown takeover? August 9, 2024 The takeover battle for Hargreaves Lansdown seemed to have finally reached a resolution this morning, and within hours of the details being announced, analysts were already speculating as to which London-listed asset manager could be next to fall to private equity. Ben Bathurst, analyst at RBC, said today that the planned investment by the private [...]
It’s over: FTSE 100 giant Hargreaves Lansdown receives £5.4bn private equity bid August 9, 2024 Hargreaves Lansdown has finally received an official bid from potential private equity buyers that management is prepared to recommend to shareholders. The £11.10 share bid, along with a dividend of 30 pence for the end of the financial year, came after months of negotiations between the DIY platform business and the consortium of private equity [...]
GAM: Swiss asset manager aims for 2026 profit despite Liontrust debacle August 8, 2024 Swiss asset manager GAM is targeting a profit in 2026 after a tumultuous couple of years that saw it reject a takeover bid from rival Liontrust. GAM reported that it had an IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) net loss of 39.1m Swiss francs (£26.6m) in the first half of the year, only around half of [...]
Barclays joins Wall Street rivals in scrapping EU bonus cap August 8, 2024 Barclays has become the first UK bank to remove an EU-imposed cap on bonuses for some of its top bankers and traders, bringing the firm's policies on variable pay closer to its Wall Street rivals.
Ben Ainslie on America’s Cup, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and backing Ineos Britannia August 8, 2024 Ineos Britannia is a boat designed to do something Great Britain has never done before: win the America’s Cup. It is the oldest international sporting trophy in the world and is very, very expensive to win – an America’s Cup boat can cost upwards of $10m. Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has put his considerable [...]
Hikma given shot in the arm by ‘excellent’ double-digit growth August 8, 2024 Pharmaceutical firm Hikma has hiked its dividend and raised its guidance having hailed an “excellent” first half of the year. The Jordanian-founded FTSE 100 pharma firm, which in June bolstered its injectables offering with the purchase of Danish rival Xellia, posted a double-digit revenue rise of 10 per cent, raking in $1.6bn (£1.3bn) in the [...]
FTSE 100: London markets pare losses and US stocks surge after jobless figures August 8, 2024 London markets dropped on Thursday morning, unwinding much of their gains made on Wednesday following a massive sell-off earlier in the week triggered by fears of a US recession.
Beazley: Shares hit all-time high after insurer doubles profit and improves guidance August 8, 2024 Shares in Beazley have hit an all-time high after the Lloyd's of London insurer more than doubled its profit in the first half of 2024 and improved its outlook for a key measure of full-year profitability.
Shawbrook: Underlying profit dips as challenger bank’s margins narrow August 8, 2024 Challenger bank Shawbrook has reported a dip in underlying profit for the first half of 2024 as looming interest rate cuts from the Bank of England narrowed its lending margins.