Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Thursday newspaper round-up: Ofgem, pensions, Bulb, Purplebricks

(Sharecast News) - The energy regulator Ofgem has said its price cap will reach £4,279 from January - but households will be shielded by the government's emergency intervention to keep a lid on bills. Ofgem said the cap, which is adjusted every quarter, will increase by £730 for the three months from the start of next year. However, the government's energy price guarantee (EPG) will limit typical household bills to £2,500. Analysts had expected the cap to sit at about £4,200. - Guardian Pensions experts have told MPs they were "absolutely shocked" at the level of "hidden" borrowing across UK pensions schemes, which nearly toppled some funds during the bond market crisis in September and forced cash-strapped trustees to sell up to £500bn in assets. Speaking to politicians on the work and pensions committee on Wednesday, academics and pensions experts laid bare the risks that certain kinds of liability-driven investing, or LDI, posed for retirement savings. - Guardian

Rishi Sunak has abandoned plans to give ministers the power to overrule City regulators in a major climbdown by the Prime Minister. Andrew Griffith, the City minister, said the Government has decided not to proceed with a so-called "call-in" power in a move that will be seen as Mr Sunak bowing to pressure from the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). - Telegraph

The government has been criticised by MPs over the "secrecy" attached to the cost of bailing out Bulb. The Treasury select committee yesterday told Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, to provide details on why running the failed energy supplier is expected to add more than £200 to energy bills for every UK household. - The Times

Shareholders in Purplebricks will vote on whether to oust the hybrid estate agent's long-term chairman in the week before Christmas after an activist investor forced a general meeting. Lecram Holdings, which has built a 5.2 per cent stake in Purplebricks this year, has been agitating for the removal of Paul Pindar since the summer. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Sunday newspaper round-up: Hargreaves Lansdown, Crest Nicholson, Michael Kors
(Sharecast News) - Hargreaves Lansdown's three private equity suitors have until Wednesday to either table a formal bid for the investment platform or walk away. A £4.7bn offer presented in April was rejected. In particular, the bidders have been attracted by the firm's ability to deposit client cash at the Bank of England for a rate of 5.25%, whilst paying just 3% on a cash Isa of up to £10,000. That netted its £269m last year at no risk. - The Financial Mail on Sunday
Sunday share tips: Oxford Instruments
(Sharecast News) - The Financial Mail on Sunday's Midas column labelled shares of Oxford Instruments a "long-term buy".
Friday newspaper round-up: Insecure work, Stellantis, Nationwide
(Sharecast News) - The UK has seen an "explosion" in insecure, low-paid work in the past 14 years, according to a new report. The TUC said its study had found that the number of people in insecure work had reached a record high of 4.1 million. The analysis of official statistics shows the number of people in "precarious" employment - such as zero-hours contracts, low-paid self-employment and casual or seasonal work - increased by nearly 1 million between 2011 and 2023. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Revolut, BT Group, housing market
(Sharecast News) - Pensioners and people on disability benefits are the winners from radical changes to the welfare system made by the Tories over the last decade, while working-age families are losing out by thousands of pounds every year, according to a report by the Resolution Foundation. The Conservatives' 14-year overhaul of social security has shifted spending away from children and housing to supporting elderly people, and broken the link between entitlement and need for some of the poorest households in the country, the report says. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.