UK litigation funder Augusta raises $115m from US investment manager September 11, 2019 The UK’s largest litigation funder by case volume Augusta said today it had raised $115m (£93m) from an unnamed US investment manager. Managing director Louis Young said: “This development is a strong endorsement of the litigation funding industry and in particular, our market-leading experienced team”. Litigation funders back individual legal cases or portfolios of cases [...]
Hong Kong bourse proposes £32bn merger with London Stock Exchange September 11, 2019 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has made a surprise proposal to buy the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in a £30bn tie-up, it said this morning. Read more: London Stock Exchange seals $27bn Refinitiv deal Yet it said the deal is subject to LSE’s mammoth $27bn (£22bn) merger with financial data provider Refinitiv falling through. [...]
Petropavlovsk swings into profit as processing plant comes online September 10, 2019 Russian gold miner Petropavlovsk put a bruising boardroom battle aside to swing into profitability in the first half of the year. The company said today that profit before tax hit $16.8m (£13.6m) in the first six months of the year, versus a loss of $33.1m over the same period in 2018. Read more: Petropavlovsk investor [...]
Debate: With its valuation in question, is WeWork’s IPO really a good idea? September 10, 2019 With its valuation in question, is WeWork’s IPO really a good idea? Yes – Andrew Boyle is founder and chief executive of LGB & Co. WeWork’s objectives of establishing a dominant market position and global brand demand substantial funding, so an IPO makes sense from the firm’s perspective. For investors, it offers a chance to [...]
How did banks get their PPI sums so wrong? September 9, 2019 | City Talk Lloyds, RBS and CYBG have all had to admit they’ll take much larger hits for PPI claims than originally thought. The end is in sight for banks and PPI claims, but what’s been made abundantly clear is just how badly they estimated the losses. The total cost to Britain’s banks from PPI is now a cool £50bn. These [...]
How will global disruption affect small cap stocks? September 9, 2019 | City Talk Small capitalisation stocks, or small caps, can offer the potential for higher returns compared with investing in larger companies, although they are not without risks. As with all equities, investors may not get back the amount they originally invested. As well as the potential for higher returns, investors are also being drawn to the sector [...]
JP Morgan set to pip rivals for Saudi Aramco mega-float September 8, 2019 Bankers at JP Morgan Chase could get bragging rights by leading history’s biggest public float, it was revealed. The company is close to winning the role as adviser to Saudi Aramco as it looks to hit stock markets potentially as early as November, Reuters reported, citing sources. The decision is not final, and could be [...]
Hell for Leaither: DWF boss on the firm’s post-float fortunes September 8, 2019 DWF is a firm that lawyers at rival firms love to hate. Founded in Liverpool 40 years ago, DWF has expanded at a rapid pace, growing from a regional player to an international firm, swallowing rivals along the way. Over the last decade its revenue grew nearly 350 per cent to £272m, and in March, [...]
Swiss stock exchange boss urges London to protect itself in EU negotiations September 8, 2019 The boss of Switzerland’s biggest stock exchange has warned Britain to be ready to protect its financial services industry against measures from the European Union. Read more: Swiss minister says country unlikely to sign EU deal soon Jos Dijsselhof’s Zurich-based Six exchange is at the centre of the EU’s row with Switzerland over trading that [...]
