Savers who placed their trust in Neil Woodford’s fund management empire, many on the recommendation of broker Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), now know the scale of the damage done. The wind-up of the better, more liquid part of the portfolio will result in heavy losses. The best that can be expected is the return of 59p … Read more
The dividend drought has begun. For people who rely on dividends for their income, either directly or indirectly through their pensions, the past three or four weeks have been a catastrophe. Share prices may have clambered back some 20 per cent from their lows of March 23, when the FTSE100 index dipped below 5,000 – … Read more
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Coronavirus lockdown must not be an excuse for axeing bank branches By Jeff Prestridge for The Mail on Sunday Published: 21:59 BST, 2 May 2020 | Updated: 21:59 BST, 2 May 2020 Lockdown’s damaging impact on the UK economy has yet to be confirmed in hard numbers, but if you believe the experts, … Read more
ALEX BRUMMER: Government’s dire error in leaving Britain’s leading-edge life sciences firms out of the virus fight By Alex Brummer for the Daily Mail Published: 21:50 BST, 1 May 2020 | Updated: 21:50 BST, 1 May 2020 Having set itself the arbitrary target of 100,000 Covid-19 tests a day, the Government reached it with hours … Read more
Oil deals a cruel blow: Shell’s decision to slash dividend and suspend share buybacks hurts investors, says ALEX BRUMMER By Alex Brummer for the Daily Mail Published: 22:00 BST, 30 April 2020 | Updated: 22:26 BST, 30 April 2020 For everyone managing a pension or investment fund, Shell’s decision to slash its dividend by two-thirds … Read more
When the coronavirus became an issue early this year there was much loose talk about it being no more than a cold. But with deaths at more than 27,000 in the UK (including care homes), and worldwide infections at above 3m, this is a human tragedy beyond imagination. Similarly, it was easy to regard the … Read more
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, is one of those institutions which comes into its own in a crisis. Its survey, based on 40,000 firms across the advanced world and emerging markets, found that Covid-19 is creating unprecedented stress with likely falls of 25 per cent in revenues, soaring debt levels and … Read more
The primary role of the free Press has always been to hold the mighty to account. To fight injustice, to ask searching questions of the rich and powerful, and to represent the interests of ordinary families when the State becomes oppressive or overweening. But there are times when words alone are not enough. We have … Read more
Ordinarily, I’m a big fan of online grocery shopping. It’s fast, there are no heavy bags to carry, and it’s easier to steer clear of unhealthy impulse buys. But supermarket deliveries are no longer just a convenience — they are a lifeline for those who have been told they will be at serious risk if … Read more
A shining light: Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey For Ross McEwan it has been out of the frying pan into the fire. The lugubrious New Zealander, having battled to restore the dividend at Royal Bank of Scotland, fled London for Sydney, only to find that National Australia Bank (NAB) needed attention too. He has taken similar … Read more