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 [...]
Liz Truss could be the gear shift Britain needs September 6, 2022 Should you be in need of a slightly bitter laugh during your lunch break, we recommend you pop down an internet wormhole and find the video of Britain’s former business secretary and now Net Zero czar Alok Sharma proudly pressing the red button on the demolition of SSE’s Ferrybridge coal plant. It is just over [...]
Truss urged by City to keep bank tax cut to boost competitiveness September 5, 2022 Liz Truss has been urged by City figures to slash taxes on banks amid speculation the incoming Prime Minister could lighten the tax burden for UK firms. Ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak last year announced a cut in the UK bank surcharge on profits from 8 to 3 per cent to offset the effect of a planned [...]
Shawbrook owners put plans to sell the challenger bank on ice September 4, 2022 The owners of Shawbrook Bank have reportedly shelved their plans to sell the lender. Private equity firms BC Partners and Pollen Street Capital were seeking bids of around £2bn for the challenger bank, which specialises in lending to small and medium-sized companies. The Financial Times reported, however, that the firms had failed to attract offers [...]
Weekend Read: As the Pound crashes to record low, what can be done to halt Sterling’s freefall? September 4, 2022 City PM reported yesterday that the pound is on course to plunge to a record low against the US dollar, largely driven by the UK tumbling into a tough recession. Sterling is expected to drop to $1.05 by the middle of next year, but could fall close to parity with the greenback, according to consultancy [...]
Cash no longer king: Lloyds says 90 per cent of payments now by contactless card September 2, 2022 Face-to-face transactions in cash are near to becoming extinct, as the pandemic-driven shift to convenient contactless takes hold. New figures from Lloyds Bank claims there has been a huge spike in the use of contactless payments on debit cards rising from 65 per cent in June 2019 to 87 per cent in 2022. The move away [...]
Barclays pulls back from Africa with £538m Absa sale September 1, 2022 British lender Barclays announced it had shed its remaining 7.4 per cent stake in South African bank Absa today as it dramatically pulls back its presence in Africa. Bosses at Barclays said this morning the sale would earn Barclays around £538m, representing around a £31m loss on its investment. The sale followed an announcement from [...]
NatWest forced to dish out £600,000 refunds after breaching banking rules August 31, 2022 The UK’s competition watchdog has forced NatWest to dish out £600,000 in refunds after it ruled the bank breached rules by forcing business customers to open “costly” current accounts to access loans.
‘Break the chains’ of regulation holding back challenger banks, MPs say August 30, 2022 A “one-size-fits-all” approach to regulating UK lenders has failed and watchdogs need to “break the chains” restricting the growth of challenger banks, a group of MPs said today.
What are the best FTSE 100 dividend stocks for September 2022? August 30, 2022 | City Talk In this new inflationary reality, the best FTSE 100 dividend stocks are not just those which are highest yielding, but also those which are most likely to continue to pay their dividends through what could become a severe recession. The FTSE 100 is by its nature defensive, down a mere 1% year-to-date. But with the downturn almost [...]
