Author: Lucas

Bank under pressure over loans to oil and gas projectsLoans, commitments to fossil fuel industries 4% of totalLoans, commitments to renewables 0.8% of overall lendingJOHANNESBURG, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Standard Bank (SBKJ.J), opens new tab, Africa’s largest lender by assets, has 67.4 billion rand ($4 billion) in loans and commitments to the coal, oil and gas sectors on its books, according to a climate exposure report it published on Thursday.Climate campaigners have criticised the bank for both its lending policies and involvement in particular projects such as a blockbuster natural gas development in Mozambique, and its potential financing of a…

Billion-pound, 15-year contract award will deliver critical utilities infrastructure upgrades at Cumbria decommissioning site. Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has been selected by Sellafield for a significant role on its long-term Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP). The total value of Sellafield’s IDP is worth up to £2.9bn, split into three lots. Costain has been confirmed as Utilities Delivery Partner (Lot 3), worth up to £1bn to the company. The contract consists of an initial term of nine years with an option to extend by a further six years, either in a single extension or multiple smaller extensions. As Utilities Delivery Partner,…

The property management sector is undergoing huge changes as legislation and regulations, and expectations of residential property management companies and customers, develop. Those responsible for buildings must now grapple with increasingly complex building safety regulations while addressing leasehold reform.Martin Douglas King, managing director, The FirstPort GroupThe industry is also facing its own internal challenges as leaders seek to professionalise the sector and create a place people want to choose as a career.Martin Douglas King, managing director of The FirstPort Group, explains how the business is facing these potential obstacles head on and creating opportunities to improve and evolve.What key areas…

Analysts at Axis Direct have released their Diwali Mahurat Technical Picks 2025, offering a curated list of high-potential 12 stocks across sectors. The selections feature upside opportunities ranging … Source link

Pavel Gertsberg, left, and German Mikulski launched their venture to fix one of the insurance industry’s most frustrating problems.Robert OlsenThe tedious, time-consuming process of settling insurance claims is practically begging for disruption. A startup called ClaimSorted is answering the call with an AI-enabled service that investors are backing to redefine the industry.On Monday, ClaimSorted will announce a $13.3 million seed round led by Atomico, the venture capital firm that has backed fintech giants Stripe and Klarna, with participation from Eurazeo, Y Combinator, Firstminute Capital, Start Ventures and a network of seasoned insurance veterans.The fresh capital will help fund the expansion…

Leandros Kalisperas, Chief Investment Officer, British Business Bank says direct investment in startups is likely to riseBritish Business Bank The U.K. innovation economy continues to attract more VC investment than its European counterparts, but there are some significant gaps in available funding, particularly between Seed and Series A and when businesses require growth capital to scale. This week, the British Business Bank (BBB) announced that it has been quietly recalibrating its own investment strategy to provide more capital for scaling companies while also “crowding in” finance from private sources, including VCs and ultimately pension funds. Established in 2014 with a…

Shift4 Payments announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of US$1.50 per share for holders of its 6% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, to be paid on November 3, 2025 to shareholders of record as of October 15, 2025. This dividend declaration arrives amid mixed financial results and shifting analyst sentiment, highlighting the company’s efforts to balance shareholder returns with investment in operational growth. We’ll now explore how this preferred stock dividend may affect Shift4 Payments’ investment narrative and outlook on capital allocation. The end of cancer? These 28 emerging AI stocks are developing tech…

Silver prices in India have reached all-time high levels, driven by robust domestic demand, constrained supply, and global market factors. Physical silver is trading at ₹185 per gram and ₹1,85,000 per kilogram, reflecting a steep premium over international benchmarks.Global spot silver prices surged to around $50 per ounce in early October amid renewed safe-haven buying and heightened investor interest.In India, the festive season ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali has amplified demand for silver coins, bars, jewellery, and idols, with imports nearly doubling in September compared to last year. Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities at Mehta Equities, noted, “Silver witnessed sharp volatility,…

Strathcona Resources Terminates Takeover Bid for MEG Energy Strathcona Resources terminated its takeover bid for MEG Energy, days after rival Cenovus Energy upped its offer to buy out the Canadian oil-sands producer and changed the terms of their standstill agreement. —- Gas Turbine Makers Are Riding the AI Power Boom Orders and prices are soaring for the monster machines made by GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. —- Canada, U.S. Have Discussed Reviving Keystone XL, Carney Says Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and President Trump have discussed the development of energy projects that would help both…

AI has stolen £120,000 from Joe Turner. The 38-year-old writer lost 70% of his clients to chatbots in two years. His is one of 40 job roles that AI is fast replacing, according to conversations the Money team had with industry experts, researchers, and affected workers. “It’s a betrayal,” says Turner, who earned six figures as a freelancer before the rise of generative AI. “You’ve put your heart and soul into it for so long, and then you get replaced by a machine.”He adds: “You always think ‘it’s never going to happen to me’.”Around 85% of the tasks involved in…