Government puts bank windfall tax on table to help plug fiscal hole October 19, 2022 The government has put a windfall tax on the UK’s largest banks on the table, sending their shares plummeting today. London-listed Lloyds Bank, which is Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, plunged to the bottom of the FTSE 100 index today, shedding 4.11 per cent. Previously state-owned NatWest trailed closely behind on the biggest losers’ table, dropping [...]
HSBC mulls ditching Canadian business amid Ping An breakup pressure October 5, 2022 HSBC is mulling hiving off its Canadian business in a move that could raise billions for Britain’s biggest bank. The banking giant has asked JP Morgan to identify possible buyers of its Canadian arm. Sky News first reported the news today. If HSBC did leave Canada – where it has built up a sizable £6bn [...]
HSBC considers leaving Canary Wharf HQ September 29, 2022 HSBC is considering leaving its iconic Canary Wharf headquarters when its lease expires in early-2027. The bank is carrying out a review of “the best future location in London” for its global headquarters, according to an internal memo seen by Financial News. HSBC’s options include either renovating its current building or moving to another London [...]
Block Russian oligarch from spending frozen funds, High Court told September 27, 2022 The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is seeking to block sanctioned Russian billionaire Petr Aven from using £1.5m in frozen funds stored in bank accounts linked to two companies responsible for managing his central London properties and Surrey estate. The £1.5m funds were frozen by the NCA in May after HSBC and Monzo Bank raised [...]
Exclusive: HSBC survey shows nearly 80 per cent of firms now prioritising sustainability September 26, 2022 Nearly 80 per cent of UK firms are now prioritising sustainability in a bid to acquire new businesses, research from HSBC exclusively shared with Morning Wire reveals. The bank’s annual capital expenditure (CAPEX) indicated that of 670 firms surveyed, almost two-fifths increasingly value environmental elements to their businesses. The shift has also led to 88 [...]
Ocado shares sink after HSBC downgrade September 20, 2022 Shares in Ocado sank on Tuesday after HSBC analysts downgraded the grocery delivery firm from a Hold to a Reduce rating. HSCB’s notes caused shares in the middle-class favourite to drop by more than eight per cent after Ocado warned last week that soaring inflation will weigh on its profitability in Q4. The firm warned [...]
Phones ringing in Canary Wharf as new Chancellor Kwarteng summons Britain’s bank and insurance chiefs September 7, 2022 The brand new Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, will set out the Government’s new economic approach to the bosses of UK’s major banks after he summoned the banking heavyweights to the Treasury for talks on his first full day in office. Along with the chief executives, the new occupant of No 11 Downing Street invited the leaders of [...]
HSBC agitator Ping An claims ‘we are not an activist’ despite break-up calls August 24, 2022 The investor pushing for a break up of HSBC has claimed it is “not an activist investor” today and simply cares about returns.
Saturday Special: The biggest money laundering scandals in banking August 20, 2022 Financial watchdog the FCA warned challenger banks earlier this year to stop cutting corners in combating financial crime so that customers can set up accounts quickly and easily. Sarah Pritchard, who heads the market division of the City regulator, said in May that there cannot be a “trade-off” between getting customers to come into the [...]
HSBC is overstating Asia demerger cost, Ping An claims August 11, 2022 Britain’s largest bank HSBC is blowing up the financial hit from carving out its Asia business to water down pressure from its biggest shareholder to demerge, sources close to the matter said. Chinese insurer Ping An claimed selling off the high street lender’s highly profitable Asia arm would unlock $35bn (£29bn) in value for shareholders [...]