DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Don't confuse customers over stablecoins, Bank of England warns lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank of England FollowLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Bank of England told lenders on Monday that they must avoid any risk that customers might confuse new forms of e-money like 'stablecoins' with standard deposits which are guaranteed against bank failures. Stablecoins are a cryptocurrency backed by a traditional currency such as sterling or the U.S. dollar, or an asset. To the extent that systemic payment systems using stablecoins pose similar risks as other systemic payment systems, they should be subject to equivalent regulatory standards, the BoE said. There are no systemic sterling stablecoins, but Tether, issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by assets including U.S. government debt, said last year it would launch a sterling stablecoin.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, stablecoins, Sheldon Mills, David Milliken, Tom Wilson, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, U.S ., Financial, European, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ UK stocks fall as real estate shares drop; economic data on tap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Shubham Batra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Real estate shares top losersMelrose surges after unit signs deal with GE AerospaceFTSE 100 down 0.1%, FTSE 250 off 0.4%Nov 6 (Reuters) - UK stocks inched lower on Monday led by a drop in shares of real estate investment trusts, while investors awaited key economic data to assess the strength of the British economy. The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 (.FTSE) edged 0.1% lower, while the mid-cap index FTSE 250 (.FTMC) fell 0.4% after logging its best week in a year on Friday. Shares of real estate investment trusts (.FTNMX351020) shed 1.2% after the index tracking real estate stocks rose sharply last week. Other economic data this week includes housing prices, construction and services activity for October. Reporting by Shubham Batra in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sanjay Raja, Andrew Bailey, Shubham Batra, Varun, Eileen Soreng Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Real, Melrose, GE Aerospace FTSE, Aerospace, Melrose Industries, GKN Aerospace, GE Aerospace, Deutsche Bank, Bank of England, Wizz, Ryanair, JD Sports, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Irish, Bengaluru

A general view of the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. In making that call the BoE report focuses mostly on consumption, which it estimates makes up about 60% of GDP. As a result, the BoE expects the fallout from rate moves to date to "grow over time" even if one-off quarterly hits have peaked. And whatever the slow-burning hit to growth and consumption, inflation surprises could well change the increasingly comfortable markets picture. BOE chart on GDP outlookBOE chart on consumption hit from rate risesReuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reutersby Mike Dolan X: @reutersMikeD; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Huw Pill, what's, BoE, Modupe Adegbembo, Andy Burgess, BOE, Mike Dolan, David Evans Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Bank, Reuters, AXA Investment Managers, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, British

☆ Barclays is sued over ex-CEO's ties to Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) was sued this week by investors in its U.S.-listed securities who said the British bank misled them about former Chief Executive Jes Staley's ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Staley was Barclays' chief executive from 2015 and 2021. The investors said Barclays concealed or made misleading statements about Staley's and Epstein's relationship in public statements, regulatory disclosures about risks it faced, and communications with Britain's Financial Conduct Authority. A Nov. 9 hearing is scheduled in Manhattan federal court to consider final approval of the victims' settlement. The case is Merritt v Barclays Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No.

Persons: Toby Melville, Jes, Jeffrey Epstein, Staley, Epstein, C.S, Jonathan Stempel, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Barclays, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase, Britain's Financial, Authority, Investors, New York Times, JPMorgan, U.S ., Merritt, Barclays Plc et, Court, District of, Thomson Locations: City, London, Los Angeles, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S, District, District of California, New York

☆ UK and Europe's borrowing costs slide after central banks hold rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district, in London, Britain, January 26, 2023. The 10-year yield on U.K. government bonds, known as gilts, was 13 basis points lower at 4.366% at 3:20 p.m. in London following the Bank of England announcement at midday. The 2-year yield, a reflection of interest rate expectations, was down 8 basis points at 4.711%. Elsewhere in Europe, bond yields have also been sliding. German 10-year bond yields fell following the Fed decision and were around 5 basis points lower on Thursday, while Italy's 10-year yield was down 9 basis points.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, —, Philip Lane, Jerome Powell's, Steve Englander Organizations: Bank of England, Reuters, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, ECB, Research, Standard Chartered, Treasury Locations: City, London, Britain, Europe, North America, U.S

☆ Bank of England set to hold rates again, but markets see no cuts on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district, in London, Britain, January 26, 2023. "U.K. economic activity appears to have slowed further, the housing market is weaker, consumer spending is falling, and inflationary pressure is showing further signs of dissipating. U.K. inflation came in at 6.7% in September , unchanged from the previous month and considerably higher than in other G7 economies. "The only way that we can rationalise this is if U.K. inflation remains stuck at 3% or higher forever, and/or the U.K. economy avoids a meaningful recession," he said. The European Central Bank last week held rates steady at their current record high of 4%, ending a run of 10 straight hikes.

Persons: Mike Riddell, BoE, Swati Dhingra, Riddell, Abbas Khan, Haskel, Mann, Dhingra, Catherine Mann, Allianz's Riddell Organizations: Bank of England, Allianz Global Investors, P, MPC, Bank, Monetary, LONDON, Barclays, U.S . Federal, Treasury, European Central Bank Locations: City, London, Britain, Israel

The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) unveiled plans earlier this year to combine with London Innovation Underwriters and raise additional funds to deploy in the Lloyd's of London insurance market. The deal by Financials Acquisition Corp differs from a typical SPAC merger because the company has set up London Innovation Underwriters itself. It is not the first time that public market investors in London have backed a new insurance venture. In 2020, Conduit Holdings (CRE.L) listed on the London Stock Exchange, subsequently starting reinsurance activities. UBS and HSBC are joint global coordinators to the Financials Acquisition deal.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, Sarah Meyssonnier, William Allen, Lloyd's, Beazley, Carolyn Cohn, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Financials, London Innovation Underwriters, Lloyds, Innovation Underwriters, Conduit Holdings, London Stock Exchange, UBS, HSBC, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, London, Lancashire, Lloyd's

The project to revamp the LME's electronic system was due to go live in June this year. Sources said the front-end trading platform developed by U.S.-based Trading Technologies does not work for the complicated structure of contracts on the LME. In response to a request for comment, Trading Technologies said: "We would defer to the LME on this." The problem comes from the LME's unique date structure which allows trading for any day between the cash contract and the benchmark three-month forward. One important aspect, the LME said, is aligning its platform with other exchanges.

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Pratima Desai, David Evans Organizations: London Metal Exchange, City of, REUTERS, Companies Hong Kong Exchanges, Trust, Hong Kong Exchanges, HK, U.S, Technologies, Trading Technologies, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ London stocks slip as downbeat earnings weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.8%, FTSE 250 off 0.6%Oct 26 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 edged lower on Thursday as Standard Chartered led a slide in bank stocks and Unilever led a drop in consumer shares after the two blue-chip companies posted disappointing earnings. The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) declined 0.8% by 0709 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dipped 0.6%, extending losses to a third straight day. Shares of Standard Chartered (STAN.L) dropped 12.8%, the most on the FTSE 100, after the UK lender flagged a 33% drop in pre-tax profit in the third quarter. The Dove soap maker's shares fell 3.1%, while the personal care, drug and grocery stores index (.FTNMX452010) lost 1.9%.

Persons: Toby Melville, Khushi Singh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Chartered, Unilever, FTSE, Standard Chartered, WPP, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ BoE likely to keep high rates on hold even as signs of slowdown mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The last Monetary Policy Committee meeting in September resulted in five members voting to pause, just outnumbering the four who sought another increase. So far, investors are not challenging the BoE's message that interest rates will stay high for a considerable period. BOE Chief Economist Huw Pill likened the outlook for monetary policy to the lofty, flat and long profile of Table Mountain during a visit to South Africa in late August. But economists expected little change in the BoE's previous forecasts that inflation will fall to 2% in two years' time. "Recent geopolitical events will probably induce a modicum of monetary policy caution, reinforcing the likelihood of unaltered policy settings," analysts at NatWest Markets said.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Andrew Bailey, James Smith, Smith, BOE, Huw Pill, Pill, Bailey, Rishi Sunak, Price, William Schomberg, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Reuters, ING, Investors, U.S . Federal, Monetary Fund, NatWest Markets, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, South Africa

☆ Britain scraps cap on banker bonuses inherited from EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view of the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday scrapped a decade-old cap on banker bonuses inherited from the European Union, signalling a clear divergence in post-Brexit financial rules from the 27-country bloc it left in 2020. The BoE and Financial Conduct Authority proposed scrapping the cap in a public consultation earlier this year, and its abolition was confirmed in final policy published on Tuesday. The TUC confederation of labour unions said the decision to scrap the bonus cap was "obscene". Law firm Linklaters said scrapping the cap puts Britain back into line with the rest of the world, apart from the EU, but it would continue to apply to staff working at EU banks in London who are regulated under the bloc's rules.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Suzanne Horne, Paul Hastings, Paul Nowak, Linklaters, David Milliken, Iain Withers, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, European Union, Financial, Authority, London, Finance, TUC, Britain, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, EU, London, New York, United States, Asia

☆ UK 30-year borrowing costs rise to highest since 1998
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A bus passes the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, February 14, 2017. Ten-year gilt yields were 2 basis point higher on the day at 4.69%, not far off a 15-year high of 4.755% set on Aug. 17. The BoE has raised its interest rate 14 times since December 2021 to 5.25%, but investors think it is now on pause, with only a 13% chance of a rate rise on Nov. 2 after its next meeting. The chances of a further quarter-point rate to 5.5% by March next year stand at around 55%. Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Liz Truss, Jerome Powell, Richard Hunter, Jeremy Hunt, BoE, David Milliken, William James Our Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Treasury, Federal, Interactive Investor, Bank of, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ Moody's lifts UK's outlook to 'stable' on restoration of policy predictability
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - Ratings agency Moody's revised Britain's outlook to "stable" from "negative" on Friday, saying policy predictability has been restored after heightened volatility last year around the so-called "mini-budget" under then-Prime Minister Liz Truss. Moody's last changed its outlook on Britain one year ago, when Truss had spooked markets with unfunded tax pledges, culminating in her resignation. "Policy predictability has been restored after heightened volatility last year around the mini-budget," the ratings agency said, affirming the country's rating at "Aa3". The government borrowed 81.7 billion pounds ($99.35 billion) in the first half of the 2023/24 financial year, 15.3 billion pounds more than between April and September 2022, but about 20 billion pounds less than the government forecast in March. On Friday S&P affirmed its AA rating and stable outlook for Britain.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Moody's, Liz Truss, Truss, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Poor's, Aatrayee Chatterjee, David Milliken, Alistair Smout, Shailesh Kuber, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Monetary Fund, Britain's, Conservative Party, Britain, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ London stocks set for weekly declines on rising yields
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.6%, FTSE 250 off 0.7%Oct 20 (Reuters) - THe UK's FTSE 100 inched down on Friday as industrial metal miners slipped and a rise in long-term bond yields kept investors away from risky assets. The main FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index was down 0.7% by 7:13 GMT, and was on track for weekly declines of nearly 2%. The FTSE 250 (.FTMC) index also lost 0.7% and was set for its fifth consecutive weekly fall. Adding to the declines, industrial metal miners (.FTNMX551020) shed 1.6% as copper prices fell on a strengthening dollar.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sterling, Khushi Singh, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, FTSE, U.S, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ London stock exchange sees first trading halt in 4 years; blue chips spared
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The London Stock Exchange (LSE) (LSEG.L) was forced to halt trading in smaller stocks on Thursday after an incident disrupted activity, although blue chip shares suffered no interruptions. London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said FTSE 100 (.FTSE), FTSE 250 (.FTMC) and International Order Book securities - those shares listed in London by overseas companies - were operating normally. The FTSE 100 closed down 1.2% on the day. In 2019, the London Stock Exchange suffered an almost two-hour outage that hit FTSE 100 and midcap stocks, which LSEG said was caused by a “technical software issue”.

Persons: Toby Melville, LSEG, Fiona Cincotta, Thomson, Akanksha, Huw Jones, Harry Robertson, Alun John, Joice Alves, Amanda Cooper, Danilo Masoni, Kirsten Donovan, Susan Fenton Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, London Stock Exchange, LSE, FTSE, Traders, Reuters, City, Thomson Reuters, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, London, LSEG, Bengaluru, Milan

☆ BOE Leaves Key Interest Rate At 5.25%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Paul Hannon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A city worker passes the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg NewsThe Bank of England’s policy makers Thursday left their key interest rate unchanged for the second straight meeting, but said they don’t expect to ease policy soon. The decision to hold the rate at 5.25% was backed by six members of the Monetary Policy Committee, while three voted for a rise in the key rate to 5.5%. At their last meeting in September, four members voted for a higher rate. Prior to that decision to hold, the BOE had raised its key rate in 14 straight meetings.

Persons: BOE, Jason Alden Organizations: Bank of England, City of, Bloomberg, The Bank of, Monetary, Committee Locations: City, City of London

☆ BoE's Bailey says he's puzzled by stubborn pay growth in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district in London, Britain May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Saturday he was puzzled by the continued strength of pay growth in Britain which, unlike other areas of the economy, has not yet responded to the BoE's run of 14 back-to-back interest rate hikes. The increases in borrowing costs were having an impact on employment numbers and in the housing market, Bailey told a panel discussion on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Morocco. "I should say what is more puzzling and in a sense we wait to see is the situation on pay and earnings where... the usual transmission mechanism is not yet being demonstrated," he said during the event organised by the Group of 30 consultative body. Reporting by Balazs Koranyi Writing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, Balazs Koranyi, William Schomberg Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Rights, International Monetary Fund, Group, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco

☆ Bank of England warns U.S. tech stock valuations may be out of whack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district, in London, Britain, January 26, 2023. Valuations for U.S technology stocks may be too high given the current macroeconomic backdrop and spike in rates, according to the Bank of England. "Given the impact of higher interest rates, and uncertainties associated with inflation and growth, some risky asset valuations appear to be stretched," the BoE's financial policy committee said Tuesday. "Stretched risky asset valuations increase the likelihood of a greater correction in prices if downside risks to growth materialise." To be sure, this isn't the first time that a central bank has warned of valuations over the years, but as a general rule, central bankers would rather not offer an opinion on any specific market price.

Persons: BoE, premia, Ben Bernanke, Lehman, Alan Greenspan, Greenspan's, — CNBC's Scott Schnipper Organizations: Bank of England, Microsoft, Nvidia, Lehman Brothers Locations: City, London, Britain, U.S

"There's been very little marking down of (private) assets," said Con Keating, head of research at Brighton Rock Group, an insurance company for pension schemes. "No-one knows where the next big blow-up for pensions will come from," said Henry Tapper, founder of pension market analysis group AgeWage. He said heavy selling of commercial property and private equity stakes by pension schemes is raising questions over private capital valuations. "It's the right approach to obviously put some scrutiny on private market valuations." But in deals where private equity firms and investors buy and sell portfolios of investments, assets are being valued at less.

Persons: Yann Tessier, Con Keating, Henry Tapper, EY's, Paul Kitson, Burgiss, Ben Leach, Willis Towers Watson, IOSCO, Wilfred Small, Sinead Cruise, John O'Donnell, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Britain's, Authority, Brighton Rock Group, Reuters, Numis Securities, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Canary, London, Britain, Germany, Sweden

☆ Aviva shares jump 8% as Times cites takeover talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Aviva logo on a window at the company's head office in the City of London, Britain, March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Shares in Aviva (AV.L) shot up almost 9% on Friday, after Britain's Times newspaper cited talk of a possible takeover of one of the UK's largest insurers by a foreign buyer. ($13.41 billion)The Times cited "chatter that refused to die down". Last month, Aviva said it had agreed to buy UK life insurance business of AIG (AIG.N) for 460 million pounds($563 million), in the largest acquisition to date by its CEO, Amanda Blanc. ($1 = 0.8201 pounds)Reporting by Joice Alves and Carolyn Cohn; Writing by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Dhara RanasingheOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Amanda Blanc, Joice Alves, Carolyn Cohn, Amanda Cooper, Dhara Organizations: Aviva, City of, REUTERS, Britain's Times, Reuters, AIG, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ Bank of England tells lenders to watch more closely for risky borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Acquire Licensing Rights企業 Bank of England フォローLONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The Bank of England wrote to lenders on Friday to urge them not to underestimate the risk of loan defaults as higher inflation and increased interest rates hit more vulnerable borrowers. However, in its letter to lenders, the BoE said they needed to look beyond aggregate risks and should identify whether particular types of borrower had specific vulnerabilities. Banks, for example, could look at spending patterns in their customers' current accounts and whether they had fixed-rate mortgages which would soon need to be refinanced at higher rates, the BoE suggested. It said for business lending, banks should not rely on a broad sector-based approach to risk and instead should in some cases consider specific companies' liquidity risks.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Victoria Saporta, Wilko, Banks, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan 私 Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, 企業 Bank of England, prudential, Wales Locations: City, City of London, Britain, England

☆ UK households shoulder 3,500 pound tax hit - IFS
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rows of houses lie in front of the City of London skyline in London, Britain, March 19, 2023. "This is not, for the most part, a direct consequence of the pandemic," Ben Zaranko, a senior IFS research economist, said. "Rather, it reflects decisions to increase government spending, in part driven by demographic change, pressures on the health service, and some unwinding of austerity." The current parliament was likely to represent "a decisive and permanent shift to a higher-tax economy," he said. ($1 = 0.8197 pounds)Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Andy BruceOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Boris Johnson, Ben Zaranko, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, Andy Bruce Organizations: REUTERS, Conservative Party, for Fiscal Studies, Conservatives, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ London is suffering an office market 'recession.' Meta just paid $181 million to dump a lease
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —London’s office market has plunged into a “rental recession,” with the share of empty space hitting its highest level in three decades, investment bank Jefferies said in a note Wednesday. Packing upOn Monday, British Land said Meta had agreed to pay £149 million ($181 million) to break its lease on a 310,000-square-foot office near London’s Regent’s Park. More bankers are reportedly leaving the area as UBS (UBS) begins relocating staff working for Credit Suisse to its main London office in the City. Regulators have been watching the commercial real estate market closely for any sign that spiraling vacancy rates and falling rents could become the source of the next financial crisis. The downturn in office rentals stands in stark contrast to London’s residential rental market where demand is high and supply chronically low.

Persons: London CNN —, Jefferies, Michael Prew, Meta, Clifford Chance, Banks Organizations: London CNN, The, City of, Jefferies, CNN, Derwent London, “, HSBC, UBS, Credit Suisse, City . Credit Suisse, Regulators, Investment, Hamptons Locations: The New York, City, City of London, London, Canary Wharf, London’s, Canary

☆ Bank of England to leave rates on hold through mid-2024, cut in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Shaloo Shrivastava | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. Last week, the Bank surprised markets by not raising rates, sending sterling to a six-month low, but signalled rates would remain higher for longer. Still, over 40% of economists, 15 of 37, who answered an extra question said the BoE should hike rates again this year. Sixteen economists predicted Bank Rate at 5.00% in the third quarter, 10 forecast 4.75%, six said 4.50%, one expected 4.25% and one 3.75%. The European Central Bank was predicted to cut rates in the third quarter next year but the Federal Reserve might start in the second quarter, separate Reuters polls showed.

Persons: Hollie Adams, The BoE, BoE, James Smith, James Rossiter, Shaloo Shrivastava, Anitta Sunil, Purujit Arun, Jonathan Cable, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Rights, Bank, Monetary, The, ING Financial Markets, TD Securities, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ Aviva agrees to buy AIG's UK protection business for $563 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A pedestrians walks past the Aviva logo outside the company head office in the city of London, Britain March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - British insurer Aviva (AV.L) said on Monday it had agreed to acquire the UK protection business of AIG (AIG.N) for 460 million pounds ($563 million). Aviva said it would buy the unit - known as AIG Life UK - from Corebridge Financial, Inc (CRBG.N), a New York-listed subsidiary of AIG. The transaction will add 1.3 million individual protection customers and 1.4 million group protection members, Aviva said, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal would represent around a 5 percentage point cut to Aviva's group solvency II cover ratio, the company said.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Amanda Blanc, Iain Withers, Louise Heavens Organizations: Aviva, REUTERS, AIG, AIG Life, Corebridge, Inc, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British, New York

Search resuls for: "City of London"

25 mentions found