PwC global digital assets chief leaves to launch ‘crypto asset manager’ August 4, 2022 The head of PwC’s crypto business has left his position at the Big Four accountancy firm to launch his own “crypto asset management firm” with a view to drawing institutional investors into cryptocurrencies. The new fund, Nine Blocks Capital Management, is set to use a $75m initial investment from Hong Kong fund Nine Masts, to [...]
Van insurance premiums surge to record highs as inflationary pressures bite August 4, 2022 Van insurance premiums have surged to record highs, after increasing for six consecutive months in a row, due to soaring inflation and widespread price hikes in response to new rules banning the practice of “price walking”. The cost of insuring a van increased by 13.6 per cent during the first six months of the year, [...]
Lloyd’s of London aims to attract billions in capital via launch of new investment vehicle August 4, 2022 Lloyd’s of London has set out plans for the launch of a new investment vehicle, with a view to drawing in billions from institutional investors. The London insurance market today announced plans to set up a second protected cell company (PCC) following the successful launch of its London Bridge Risk PCC vehicle last year. [...]
UK government bans Bain & Co from competing for contracts over role in South African corruption scandal August 3, 2022 US consulting firm Bain & Co has been banned from competing for UK government contracts, after a review by the Cabinet Office determined the Boston consultancy “guilty of grave professional misconduct” over its role in alleged “state capture and corruption by the South African government”. As first reported by the Financial Times, Cabinet Minister Jacob [...]
Auditors should stop ‘complaining’ about fines and improve the quality of their work, FRC chief says August 3, 2022 The head of the UK’s accounting watchdog has said Britain’s major auditors should stop “complaining” about fines and start improving the quality of their work instead. In an interview with the Financial Times, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) chief executive Sir Jon Thompson said “the solution” to auditors’ problems with fines is “entirely” in their own [...]
Axa launches £840m share buyback scheme as higher earnings offset £250m hit from Ukraine August 3, 2022 French insurance giant Axa today said an uptick in earnings, driven by higher incomes from its investment portfolio, offset the €300m (£251m) hit to its business arising from the war in Ukraine. In reflecting its “robust performance,” Europe’s second biggest insurer vowed to buy back €1bn worth of its own shares from shareholders, after [...]
Hiscox shares plunge after insurer slumps to loss of £88m August 3, 2022 Insurance giant Hiscox slumped to a loss of $107m (£88m) in the first half of the year after a steep decline in the value of its investment portfolio.
KPMG’s UAE business holds meeting with clients to restore confidence in firm August 2, 2022 The chief executive of KPMG’s business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has held a series of face-to-face meetings with key clients, in an effort to restore confidence in the accounting firm’s management, following reports a coup within the Emirati firm. Nader Haffer, chief executive of KPMG Lower Gulf, hosted the client meetings after partners [...]
Self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright awarded just £1 in damages after winning libel lawsuit August 2, 2022 A High Court judge has awarded an Australian cryptographer, Craig Wright –who claims to have invented Bitcoin – just £1 in damages, after the academic secured victory in a libel lawsuit against a YouTuber, who said he was lying about having invented the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency. The award comes after the academic – who claims [...]
Workers on UK government’s DBS contract to strike after rejecting pay deal August 2, 2022 Workers at the outsourcing company that runs the call centres for the UK government’s criminal record checking services today set out plans to strike over pay and working conditions. The action is set to see 80 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) launch a six-day strike against government contractor Hinduja Global Solutions [...]
