FTSE 100 close: Bleak IMF UK recession warning knocks pound and London index January 31, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 dipped and the pound stumbled today, both driven lower by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning the UK is on course to be the only major economy to contract this year. The capital’s premier index fell 0.17 per cent to 7,771.69 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more [...]
Fleet Street site amongst a host of Barclays bank branch closures January 28, 2023 Barclays has announced the closure of 15 branches across the country, meaning over 100 banks are slated to shut down so far this year. The bank is set to close 14 branches across England and one in Wales from late April to the first few days on May. Sites in London, Gosport, Bridgwater and St [...]
Barclays promotes Wright and brings in ex- Credit Suisse dealmaker Deasy to co-head its investment banking division January 25, 2023 Barclays has appointed Taylor Wright and Cathal Deasy as new co-heads of investment banking yesterday. Wright and Deasy will jointly manage the business and will be tasked with “deepening client relationships and dealmaking efforts around the world”. They will replace John Miller and Jean-Francois Astier and report to Paul Compton, global head of Barclays’ corporate [...]
Mark Carney’s net zero group disputes data showing only 7 per cent of banks’ energy financing goes to renewables January 24, 2023 Only seven per cent of global banks’ energy financing between 2016 and 2022 went towards renewable energy projects, according to new data, although Mark Carney’s net zero financial coalition has disputed the claim. A report by a group of campaign groups, including BankTrack and Rainforest Action Network, indicates “major failings” by financial institutions to help [...]
Tech Nation ‘working round clock to secure future’ after Govt strips it of £12m contract and awards it to Barclays January 20, 2023 Start-up body Tech Nation said it is facing an existential crisis and was scrambling to secure funding for its future today, after the government stripped it of a major £12m government contract and handed it to Barclays. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed it had handed the new tech deal to Barclays [...]
UK banks’ shares slide on fears of recession and bad debt January 19, 2023 UK banks’ share prices dipped on Thursday as increasing fears of recession, bad debt and a fairly poor set of US bank earnings this week spooked investors. Barclays shed 2.8 per cent, HSBC 0.6 per cent and Standard Chartered 0.8 per cent. Domestic-focused lenders Lloyds and Natwest also traded lower, finishing down 1.0 per cent [...]
FTSE 100 close: Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey pull index away from record high January 19, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index registered one of its worst days since the turn of the year, pulling it away from its record high. The capital’s premier index shed 1.07 per cent to drop to 7,747.28 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell [...]
Barclays’ staff shortages force it to turn away new business January 16, 2023 Barclays has been turning away companies with more than one director apply for new bank accounts as staff shortages have left the lender unable to complete anything but the most basic background checks. Barclays has struggled to open new business accounts for more than four months, and will probably continue to reject companies with more [...]
Why UK banks are not going to cause another financial crisis January 15, 2023 UK banks are better prepared to withstand a jump in home loan defaults, cooling fears of a repeat of the financial crisis, analysts have told Morning Wire Strict affordability rules implemented after the 2008 banking crash have strengthened lenders’ loan books, meaning they are well insulated from a potential rise in defaults caused by last [...]
Clawback: How Barclays is chasing down Covid-19 business loan cash January 10, 2023 Barclays has teamed up with a specialist insolvency practitioner to recover money loaned to small businesses through the UK’s Covid support schemes. The British bank has joined forces with insolvency firm Manolete Partners to recover emergency loans paid through the UK government backed Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the Financial Times first reported. The UK’s [...]