Aberdeen Standard Investments makes $13m investment in digital insurance company Singapore Life January 15, 2019 Asset management firm Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) has announced it will invest $13m (£10.1m) in digital insurance company Singapore Life. The minority equity investment will build on ASI’s existing strategic relationship with the company beyond the management of its fiduciary assets. Singapore Life is the first fully digital insurer in Singapore, and aims to become a [...]
Are Britain’s banks close-minded to Open Banking? January 14, 2019 Lauded as the start of a new revolution in banking, Open Banking was expected to take the financial world by storm when it was introduced almost a year ago to the day. The set of new rules require that the big banks allow their customers to share their own transaction data with third parties. Specifically designed to open [...]
Pret A Manger and Krispy Creme owner Jab Holdings’ chairman Bart Becht announced retirement January 14, 2019 Bart Becht has resigned as chairman of Jab Holdings, which owns businesses including Keurig Dr Pepper and Pret A Manger. The company, which also owns the Douwe Egberts coffee brand and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, will continue to be run by chief executive Olivier Goudet and senior partner Peter Harf, who will be joined by three new [...]
Investcorp teams up with Coller Capital for $1bn private equity buyout fund January 14, 2019 Investcorp has teamed up with Coller Capital to create a $1bn (£778m) European private equity buyout fund. London-based Coller Capital will use its current fund, Coller International Partners VII, to underwrite the new investment vehicle which will invest in European mid-market companies. Read more: 3i sells debt business as part of strategic focus away from [...]
Hermes Investment Management steps up Dublin presence in no-deal Brexit contingency planning January 14, 2019 Hermes Investment Management has stepped up its presence in Ireland to mitigate against the risks posed by Brexit, the company announced today. The City-headquartered firm has set up an Irish management company, saying its mitigation activities have been based on the presumption of a “hard Brexit” without any transitional arrangements. Read more: 60 per cent [...]
How the FTSE 100 returned 94 per cent without moving January 14, 2019 | City Talk On New Year’s Eve 1999, the FTSE 100 closed at a then-record high of 6930. Few could have envisaged then that, 19 years on, the index would be lower. It stood at 6845 as at 14 December 2018. A negative return for investors over that long a period can be concerning, but it doesn’t tell [...]
Rathbones Brothers inflows up after Speirs & Jeffrey acquisition January 10, 2019 Funds under management at Rathbone Brothers investment management were up 13.9 per cent per cent last year after being boosted by the acquisition of wealth manager Speirs & Jeffrey. Funds hit £38.5bn at the end of December last year, up from £33.8bn the previous year, including £6.4bn of funds related to the acquisition. However, in the [...]
Outflows from UK funds hit highest level since the EU referendum January 10, 2019 Outflows from UK funds in November hit the highest level since the EU referendum. Net retail sales were negative, with outflows totalling £2.1bn – the most since the 2016 Brexit vote – as investor caution increased due to international trade tensions, Brexit and market volatility, according to the latest figures from the Investment Association. Fixed income [...]
Star trader Neil Woodford’s fund reports healthy profits despite recent drop in assets January 9, 2019 Veteran investor Neil Woodford’s fund Woodford Investments has reported operating profit of £41.7m and paid directors £36.5m in dividends in the 12 months to the end of March last year. However, the accounts do not take into account recent outflows from the fund, and profits are likely to be impacted in the next set of full-year [...]
Virgin Money and Aberdeen Standard Investments sign agreement for investment and pensions joint venture January 9, 2019 Virgin Money and Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) have signed an agreement for a new investment and pensions joint venture. ASI will acquire 50 per cent of Virgin Money Unit Trust Managers Limited for at least £40m, the companies announced today, and take over the management of its £3.7bn retail assets. The deal, which is designed [...]