City investment management firm Charles Stanley reports sharp assets drop amid challenging market conditions January 17, 2019 Investment management firm Charles Stanley saw assets under management fall last year due to challenging market conditions. Funds under management and administration were £22.8bn in the three months to the end of December, representing a decrease of 8.8 per cent, the City-headquartered firm announced today. The drop can be blamed on a sharp fall in [...]
Experian reports strong growth driven by US expansion January 17, 2019 Consumer credit data company Experian reported strong growth in its third quarter trading update this morning, driven by the expansion of the US business. Shares were up two per cent on the news that the firm’s underlying organic growth was nine per cent, boosted by 12 per cent growth in North America with both the [...]
Forget Brexit – the British economy is running out of money January 17, 2019 The media circus around Brexit is currently the focus of virtually all economic commentary on the UK. This fixation is so all-consuming that we risk missing another real threat to the economy: the dramatic slowdown in the growth rate of broad money This refers to the total amount of money in the economy. There is [...]
Blackrock investigates hoax letter to chief executives over climate change January 16, 2019 Blackrock is investigating a hoax letter published this morning, claiming to be from chief executive Larry Fink, that warned companies that the world’s largest investment firm would divest unless they took action against climate change. The letter, which was posted on a spoof Blackrock website as the company reported its financial results, said the investor [...]
Blackrock assets under management drop five per cent January 16, 2019 Blackrock’s assets under management dropped five per cent last year as the world’s biggest investment manager saw inflows slashed in half. The manager reported AUM of $5.97 trillion at the end of 2018, down from $6.3 trillion in 2017. Read more: Blackrock and Metro Bank on shortlist for new responsible business award In 2018, full-year total [...]
Brexit deal defeat triggers huge uncertainty: what next? January 16, 2019 | City Talk Sterling rose in vote aftermath from €1.115 to €1.128; FTSE 100 fell more than 40 points in early trading In event of no deal, Schroders forecasts 2019 UK recession Market expectations that soft Brexit is now more likely seem premature Azad Zangana, Senior European Economist & Strategist, says: As had been widely expected, parliament has [...]
Parent trap: the child benefits system has ended up punishing the very people it was designed to protect January 16, 2019 For high-flying parents who earn more than £50,000 a year, the child benefit system will seem ridiculous. You go through the effort of applying for the benefits (over the course of a year, this amounts to £1,000 for the first child, and £700 for each additional child), only for the money to be clawed back [...]
Shares in asset manager Ashmore fall amid ‘challenging’ emerging markets January 15, 2019 Assets under management at Ashmore Group edged upwards in the three months to 31 December against “challenging markets”, the asset manager said in a trading update today. The emerging markets specialist saw the value of its funds rise $300m (£235.2m) to an estimated $76.7bn. Read more: Top adviser joins firm aiming to ‘open up’ emerging markets The [...]
MPs fear FCA proposals on overdraft rules could end free banking January 15, 2019 The head of the UK’s financial watchdog told MPs this morning that he is “very alert” to the possibility that proposed rules to tackle charges for unplanned overdrafts could raise the cost of planned consumer borrowing. MPs raised concerns that changes to overdraft rules could negatively impact the availability of free banking as banks would [...]
Aberdeen Standard Investments makes $13m investment in digital insurance company Singapore Life January 15, 2019 Asset management firm Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) has announced it will invest $13m (£10.1m) in digital insurance company Singapore Life. The minority equity investment will build on ASI’s existing strategic relationship with the company beyond the management of its fiduciary assets. Singapore Life is the first fully digital insurer in Singapore, and aims to become a [...]
