London Stock Echange denies it will move City HQ to Hackney September 13, 2019 The London Stock Exchange Group has denied reports it is contemplating moving its headquarters out of the City and into the hipster haven of Hackney. The London group has hired Make Architects to design an office in Hackney on land that it currently owns, according to The Times. It would be the first time the [...]
Nationwide reveals PPI hit of up to £50m as it becomes latest victim of claims rush September 13, 2019 Nationwide has become the latest company to reveal a hefty charge for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) amid a surge in last-minute claims. Read more: N Brown shares drop after it reveals £20m to £30m PPI provision The building society today said it has set aside a provision of between £20m and £50m, in addition [...]
Hong Kong stock exchange share price dips in wake of £32bn offer for LSE September 12, 2019 The Hong Kong stock exchange’s share price dipped this morning as investors reacted to the group’s shock £32bn offer for its London counterpart. Shares in Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) fell 3.5 per cent during trading today, underlining doubts in the market over the unprecedented bid to buy the LSE and “redefine global capital [...]
Santander accused of circumventing professional PPI claims firms September 11, 2019 Professional claims managers have accused Santander of trying to minimise its PPI payments after the bank started going above their heads, dealing directly with customers. The bank confirmed it was talking to customers, skipping the claims management companies (CMCs) to save time on the process. Read more: Lloyds suspends share buyback as PPI costs rise [...]
John McDonnell poised to back widening of UK financial transactions tax September 11, 2019 Shadow chancellor John McDonnell is set to extend Labour’s plans for a new tax on UK financial transactions in a move that could bring in an extra £2.1bn to the government’s coffers. Under Labour’s existing plans, the 0.5 per cent duty on share trading would be extended to other asset classes. Labour say this would [...]
ECB’s Mario Draghi set to inject stimulus into Eurozone economy – but will it work? September 11, 2019 Mario Draghi tomorrow chairs his penultimate interest rate-setting meeting as president of the European Central Bank (ECB). The question is, will he bring a bazooka to his final battle? Read more: US and European stocks bouyed by ECB rate cut expectations The consensus expectation is that Draghi and co will cut the ECB’s main interest [...]
S&P Global Ratings calls for action on climate change September 10, 2019 International ratings agency S&P has called on banks and regulators to address the risks that climate change poses to the financial sector, saying “they need to act now” or suffer the consequences. Read more: New York Times drops London oil conference sponsorship after protests S&P said in a report released today that climate change could [...]
Lloyds suspends share buyback as PPI costs rise to £1.8bn September 9, 2019 Lloyds Banking Group has warned its costs relating to mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) could hit an additional £1.8bn after a rush of claims before the 29 August deadline. The bank had previously forecast costs of just under £1.1bn, based on a claims rate of 190,000 per week. Read more: Tesco sells mortgage arm to [...]
St. James’ Place boss promises review of company’s incentives September 8, 2019 The boss of Britain’s largest wealth manager has been forced to review its controversial staff incentives scheme as details of the lavish rewards were made public. St. James’ Place (SJP) advisers could enjoy luxury cruises and white-gold cufflinks as reward for bringing in new clients willing to save in pensions and ISAs. In an internal [...]
Sainsbury’s planning major changes to struggling bank arm September 8, 2019 Sainsbury’s is plotting a radical overhaul of its loss-making banking arm as it reconsiders its business model in the wake of its failed merger with Asda. Read more: Sainsbury’s partners with Deliveroo on pizza takeaway service The household name is weighing up its options ahead of a meeting with investors in two weeks’ time. The [...]