HSBC to test Zoom-free Fridays

Monday, 10 May 2021, 07:00:00
Staff in the bank's commercial arm will get afternoons off video meetings to combat home-working burnout
— The Telegraph

UK banks’ support for coal industry has risen since 2015 Paris climate pact

Tuesday, 4 May 2021, 01:01:14
Lenders including Barclays and HSBC provided services and loans worth £21.9bn in 2019 British banks’ financial support for companies involved in the coal industry has risen since the 2015 Paris agreement, despite their pledges to wind down financing for a sector seen as a significant obstacle to tackling global heating . UK lenders provided loans and underwriting services worth $30.3bn (£21.9bn) to companies that sold or burned coal, or provided coal industry services, during 2019, the latest year for which complete data is available, according to research by the campaign groups Reclaim Finance and Urgewald. That represented a significant increase compared with $21.5bn in financing provided in 2016. Continue reading…
— The Guardian

Google invented a hot desk that remembers what you like — and it solves one of the biggest flaws of sharing a work space (GOOGL)

Friday, 30 April 2021, 17:09:26
Summary List Placement For Google employees, the future of work might be an intelligent desk that adjusts to your needs. A new piece from The New York Times' Daisuke Wakabayashi dives into how Google is preparing for the future of work when employees begin returning to the office this September. Google's plan involves revamped ventilation, spaced-out desks, new ways for employees to meet both in-person and virtually — and a new type of hot desk. The desk is designed for Google employees who no longer need a permanent desk at the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters. Those employees, who may come in a few days per week and require a temporary workspace, will scan their work badge on a pad attached to the desk. The desk will then automatically adjust to the correct height, the monitor will tilt to the employee's preferred angle, and the nearby temperature will adjust to the employee's preference. Plus, a Nest Hub on the desk — a small display equipped with Google Assistant — will show the employee's family photos.
— Business Insider

Tech stocks slide with new earnings reports coming into focus (INX, DJIA, NDX, RUT)

Tuesday, 27 April 2021, 22:09:11
Summary List Placement Tech stocks pulled back Tuesday as investors prepared for the next round of quarterly earnings reports, leaving the US stock market fighting to stay close to record highs. The Nasdaq Composite was slightly lower after closing at a record high on Monday and the S&P 500 was edged up after also closing at a new record high Monday. Parcel delivery company UPS was among the those that turned in stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter. But from the tech front, Tesla shares dropped following the release of the electric car maker first-quarter earnings report. The shares came under pressure from the lack of annual vehicle-delivery guidance. Its financial results met expectations. Here's where US indexes stood at 4 p.m. on Tuesday: S&P 500 : 4,186.57, down 0.03% Dow Jones Industrial Average : 33,982.82, up 0.01% (1.25points) Nasdaq Composite : 14,090.22, down 0.34% Microsoft and Google's parent Alphabet will be in focus after the bell Tuesday with quarterly results from the tech heavyweights.
— Business Insider

HSBC profits rise nearly 80% amid improving economic outlook

Tuesday, 27 April 2021, 13:25:26
Bank is able to release $435m of $8.8bn it put aside to cover bad debts in Covid crisis last year Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage HSBC reported $5.8bn in first-quarter profit, a near-80% jump, as improving economic forecasts allowed the bank to release hundreds of millions of pounds of bad debt provisions made to cover potential defaults linked to the Covid crisis. Executives said they were still cautious but feeling more optimistic than in February, partly owing to the success of vaccine rollouts in big markets including the UK. Continue reading…
— The Guardian