CITY WHISPERS: Mad Men of Whitehall in TikTok blitz for NatWest

NatWest reached a milestone last week when the government’s stake in the bank fell below 30 percent, meaning the bank is no longer a controlling shareholder.

It comes as the Treasury draws up plans to offer some of its remaining stake to individual investors in the summer – a far cry from when it bailed out the bank during the 2008 financial crisis.

Whispers hears that Whitehall is considering pulling out all the stops in a marketing blitz to spread the message to the investing public.

One of the options reportedly being considered is advertising the sale on the video-sharing app TikTok, which has a large audience of young people.

Whitehall has also hired advertising agency M&C Saatchi to market the sale, while a team from Barclays will ensure any campaign does not breach strict rules around financial promotions.

We eagerly await what the Mad Men of Whitehall will cook up.

THG cheerful

Matt Molding took to LinkedIn to share some positive news for THG that, for once, wasn’t written by himself.

The Hut Group founder praised estate agent Peel Hunt’s buy recommendation and the e-commerce group’s target price of £1.41 – double the current price of 69p.

He also hit out at other analysts and the media, who he said had labeled him “some kind of charlatan, building a ‘bag of wrenches’ business out of Manchester.”

Rule Britannia over British Isa

The Chancellor hopes his British Isa will boost London’s stock market. But it seems most investors don’t need convincing.

Investment platform eToro surveyed 1,000 UK retail investors and revealed last week that the number of UK shares owned had reached the highest level in a year, up 10 percent from the last quarter of 2023. Four out of five owned UK listed shares their portfolio. .

Even more surprising, younger investors backed Britain, with 39 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds expecting the British market to outperform its peers over the next five years.

Only 9 percent of investors over 55 thought the same. Rule Britannia!

Overbearing bosses, you are aware…

When recruiting a boss, you would think that organizational skills would be at the top of the wish list. But there can also be such a thing as being too organized.

A new report from Durham University Business School shows that bosses who ‘prioritise planning and organisation’ can be a handicap when a business needs to adapt to external shocks.

Because they were “more rigid in their practices,” it became “more difficult for them to change their ways.” Less surprisingly, those who “get anxious and stressed easily” didn’t do so well either.

As a result, the researchers recommended that companies facing an unstable business environment would be better off seeking a boss “who is less conscientious and neurotic.” Overbearing bosses, you are aware…