UBS agrees £8bn loss protection deal paving way for completion of Credit Suisse tie-up June 9, 2023 UBS has agreed a loss protection deal with Swiss authorities worth CHF9bn (£8bn), paving the way for the merger of Switzerland’s largest banks next week. Under the arrangement announced today, UBS will bear the first CHF5bn of potential losses on a defined portion of Credit Suisse’s assets. The Swiss government will then cover the next [...]
SMEs are ready to ramp up investment despite concern over wider economy, new research finds June 8, 2023 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly optimistic about their own future, despite concerns around the wider economy. According to Opinium data collected for Paragon Bank, 45 per cent of SMEs expect cashflow to improve over the next three months. Over the course of a year this figure jumps to 55 per cent. Over a [...]
Standard Chartered to cut around 100 jobs worldwide as bank seeks to cut costs by $1bn – reports June 8, 2023 Standard Chartered is laying off employees across Singapore, Hong Kong and London following a series of cuts across the sector in recent months. According to Bloomberg News, the bank could cut over 100 employees although it is yet to determine a final number. In Asia, roles have been cut in middle-office functions, like human resources [...]
MPs pile pressure on banks as savings offers lag interest rate hikes June 8, 2023 MPs said that lenders must “up their game” and pass on higher rates to savers as bank bosses responded to an inquiry on the “measly” rates on offer. The influential Treasury Committee pointed to low rates on offer for easy access accounts across the UK’s ‘scale challengers’, Nationwide, TSB, Virgin Money and Santander. According to [...]
Link chief John Howells on bank branch closures, payments and the battle for cash June 8, 2023 Link's chief John Howells says the nation can't "abandon" its cash users.
JP Morgan leads rivals on AI recruitment as UK banks struggle to attract talent June 7, 2023 JP Morgan is leading the field in AI recruitment as banks around the world race to capitalise on the opportunities created by the new technology. According to a new report from consultancy Evident, JP Morgan is hiring twice as many AI-related jobs as its rivals. The Wall Street giant advertised 3,651 jobs in AI between [...]
Watchdog sets out new rules to reimburse APP fraud victims in ‘world first’ June 7, 2023 The Payment System Regulatory (PSR) has confirmed new rules that will force banks and payment companies to reimburse victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Following consultation, the regulator has set out how mandatory reimbursement will work in practice. It said the new rules will prompt a “step change” in how firms approach fraud prevention. [...]
Investec snaps up Capitalmind as investment bank consolidation accelerates June 7, 2023 Investec has snapped up a majority stake in boutique dealmaking firm Capitalmind today as a consolidation of smaller investment banks accelerates amid a deals drought.
UK’s newest bank Griffin secures £11m in funding round as it plots expansion June 7, 2023 Griffin, the UK’s newest bank, has gathered £11m in a fundraising round just a few months after it secured its banking licence. The funding round was led by venture capital firm Mass Mutual Ventures, with existing investors Seedcamp and EQT Ventures participating in the fundraise. Griffin said the funds will go towards leaving the ‘mobilisation’ [...]
Challenger banks hunt for acquisitions as rising interest rates reveal opportunities June 7, 2023 Challenger banks are increasingly on the lookout for acquisition opportunities as rising interest rates reveal takeover opportunities in the sector. Nigel Terrington, chief executive of Paragon Bank, told City PM that they “continue to look for opportunities” having made four acquisitions in seven years. Terrington noted that “in environments like this, some lenders are not [...]
