Financial services

The London Stock Exchange and Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission have reached a deal allowing Hong Kong investors easier and cheaper access to UK-quoted companies than ever before.

Neptune has closed a further two productsin its range, bringing to an end a period of significant fund consolidation and restructuring for the firm.

The Financial Conduct Authority's(FCA) income from fines it imposes on financial services companies is set to dip on last year's total, despite record penalties for Barclays and Deutsche Bank in recent months.

Economist and creator of the term 'BRICs' Jim O'Neill is to become a Treasury minister in the new government.

Tne of the biggest investment fines

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a warning against a commodity firm it believes is providing financial services without authorisation.

The Financial Conduct Authority is to launch a market study on the asset management industry and the charges it levies upon investors, with adviser inducements and non-advised sales also set to come under scrutiny in the coming months.

HSBC Global Asset Management's chief executive Andy Clark is ruling out introducing preferentially priced share classes, saying they are akin to "endorsements" of individual platforms.

Consensus on disclosure still a way off

The Investment Association (IA) has proposed a new method of presenting portfolio turnover rates, and called for transaction fees to be separated from fixed costs, as part of a push for more comprehensive fund fee disclosure.