Louise Haigh quits as transport secretary after admitting to fraud conviction November 29, 2024 Louise Haigh has resigned as transport secretary after admitting pleading guilty to a criminal offence tied to her incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013. Downing Street said Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander had been appointed to replace her. Haigh said in a letter to prime minister Keir Starmer on [...]
London Stock Exchange takeover bonanza tops £50bn November 29, 2024 This year's barrage of takeover bids for firms lsited on the London Stock Exchange has jumped to £52bn, igniting fears over the future of Britain's equity markets.
City minister warned FCA ‘several times’ over name and shame plans November 29, 2024 The City minister said she warned the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) “several times” that its controversial ‘name and shame’ rules could harm companies before the regulator moved to water down the plans. Following intense criticism from firms and ministers, the regulator confirmed on Thursday that it would soften plans to publicly name companies facing investigation [...]
Direct Line shares surge after £3.3bn Aviva takeover approach November 28, 2024 Shares in Direct Line surged as much as 40 per cent on Thursday morning after the insurer rejected a £3.3bn takeover approach from larger rival Aviva.
Coventry Building Society to take over Co-op Bank in January November 28, 2024 Regulators have given the green light for Coventry Building Society to acquire The Co-operative Bank in January as consolidation sweeps through Britain’s mid-sized banking sector. The two lenders said on Thursday that the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority had approved the £780m deal, which was agreed in May. The takeover [...]
Impax profit drops as ESG-focused asset manager looks forward to Trump’s return November 28, 2024 ESG-focused Impax Asset Management has reported a fall in profit and continued outflows but said Donald Trump’s return to the White House could help its portfolios deliver “excellent returns”. The London-listed firm said on Thursday that its pretax profit came in at £49m for the year ending on 30 September, down six per cent from [...]
Neobrokers take aim at Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell November 27, 2024 A crop of neobrokers are ramping up their challenges to the industry’s dominant players in what experts say could reshape Britain’s retail investment scene.
Standard Chartered mulls sale of three African units November 27, 2024 Standard Chartered is exploring a sale of its wealth management and retail operations in three African countries as the banking giant seeks to free up firepower for its investment plans.
FCA ‘strengthens’ internal whistleblowing policy after backlash November 27, 2024 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said it will look to strengthen its internal whistleblowing policy after intense criticism over its handling of complaints from former staff. The City regulator said today it will clearly lay out how its chair and other non-executives can internally share information about whistleblowers in order to protect their confidentiality [...]
Nationwide banks £2.3bn gain from Virgin Money takeover as profit tumbles November 27, 2024 Nationwide has bagged a £2.3bn gain from its acquisition of Virgin Money, setting up a windfall for members of Britain’s biggest building society.