We are now into the second quarter of 2013, and the pace of new regulatory developments and publications continues relentlessly. In April the Basel Committee published a progress report on how countries are getting on with implementing Basel II and Basel III. The report is positive, noting many countries have...
By Nick Jones, Global Director of PwC’s Public Sector Research Centre The Queen’s Speech, the quaint tradition by which the government of the day sets out its annual legislative programme amid much pomp and no little ceremony, contained few surprises. Nevertheless, it was still of real interest in showing the...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is only just getting going, but it’s already clear that it intends to reach into new areas not touched by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Download Right first time_ Staying ahead of the conduct agenda In this short perspective we share our views on how...
Cloud computing promises lower up-front costs, greater business agility, and a reduced burden on internal IT management. Therefore the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of many large enterprises are now adding cloud-based solutions to their existing IT services. But before CIOs can fully leverage the benefits of cloud technologies they need...
Fifteen companies from the Midlands have earned places on the 14th annual Sunday Times PwC Profit Track 100. The league table ranks Britain’s privately-owned companies with the fastest-growing profits over the last three years of available audited accounts‡, and is published this weekend. The 15 companies (the same number as...
In a quarter that has seen more major high street retailers enter administration, insolvencies in the Midlands have fallen significantly compared to previous recent quarters. In total there were 326 insolvencies in the first three months of 2013 in the West Midlands, down from 405 in Q4 2012 and 489...
PwC comments on the Cranfield School of Management’s report that shows progress has stalled in appointing more women to board-level roles in the UK’s top companies. Dawn Nicholson, HR consulting partner at PwC, said: "As with any new initiative, it is sometimes easier at the outset to get commitment and...
Employment increases unexpectedly According to the latest CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey, activity in the sector rebounded strongly in the three months to March, with a robust rise in business volumes and an increase in profits. Profit growth was driven mainly by a further widening in spreads and an increase in...
What risks do insurers worldwide face in the current climate and how are they prioritising them? PwC and the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) have joined forces to responses from industry leaders to learn what they see as the biggest threat. Every two years, PwC and the...
The hotel market in Birmingham is continuing to perform reasonably well, according to PwC’s hospitality and leisure sector experts, as occupancy rates rose to 63.9% in December 2012, up from 59.2% in the same month of 2011, according to data provided for PwC by STR global. Despite concerns that weaker...
The Chancellor is sticking to his guns and emphasising Britain is open for business by cutting the corporation tax rate, and reiterating a commitment to ‘building the most competitive business tax system in the world’. Having set low expectations given the limited room for manoeuvre, Budget 2013 was, at least...
In order to encourage development of the UK shale gas industry, the Government announced new measures to support shale gas exploration: Alan McCrae, head of UK energy tax, PwC, said: “The details will be a very welcome boost to the shale gas industry and will encourage new investment in an...
By Smita Mehta The UK has historically been a preferred destination for inward investment from other developed economies. However, recently its position has been waning in some of the rankings. It faces threats from economies such as Germany which continues to maintain a strong position as an engineering powerhouse, and...
Global shale oil production could boost global GDP by up to $2.7 trillion by 2035 Shale oil production has the potential to reach up to 12% of global oil production, equivalent to almost 14 million barrels a day This extra supply could push global oil prices down by around 25%-40%...
In the West Midlands, there were 1,114 insolvencies in the manufacturing and construction sectors in the two years to the end of 2012 – 622 construction sector insolvencies and 492 manufacturing sector insolvencies. While insolvency numbers remain high in these sectors, they are falling, according to PwC figures. Since the...
The M&A investment share from institutions, such as insurance, pension and sovereign wealth funds, has more than doubled year on year, according to PwC’s annual Power and Renewables Deals report released today. Together with infrastructure funds, institutions accounted for a third of all power and renewables deal value in 2012....
Commenting on anticipated changes to the UK planning system, which could see offices being freed up for conversion to residential use, Simon Hardwick, PwC Legal real estate partner and co-author of Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2013, said: "Such a change to the planning regime would be positive news...
By Nick Forrest, Mark Ambler and Tom Robinson In the current weak economic environment, understanding the broader economic impact of key decisions is vital for businesses, governments and regulators. Policy-makers are looking to take decisions which will boost economic growth and have a positive economic impact. So when they are...
The announcement that 800 new production jobs are to be created at Jaguar Land Rover’s plant in Solihull are a sign of things to come as the premium car market continues to go from strength to strength, says PwC. The company has also announced that 358,000 cars were sold in...
Commenting on the Government’s expected state pension reforms, Steve Blackmore, pensions director at PwC in the Midlands, said: “Greater simplicity and certainty on the state pension has to be good news for savers and pensioners. This will give people comfort about the base level of state pension they will receive,...
