FTSE 100 down as investor sentiment drops November 9, 2012 The leading share index was down this morning, consolidating overnight losses in Asia and the US. Miners led the fallers in early trading, with Eurasian Natural Resources, Kazakhmys and Anglo American among the blue chips feeling the heat. On the FTSE All-Share, Finnish miner Talvivaara slid more than nine per cent in early deals. Yesterday [...]
FTSE 100 up on Obama victory November 7, 2012 US President Barack Obama’s victory pushed up the blue chip index in early trading. His win is expected to mark the continuation of loose monetary policy and low interest rates at the Federal Reserve. Miners and engineering firms led the FTSE All-Share higher, with boiler and valve maker Spirax-Sarco adding 6.76 per cent in early [...]
Financial regulation is worsening Europe’s demographic time bomb October 31, 2012 THERE is more to Europe’s current challenges than debt, stagnation and unemployment. There is an elephant in the room that could become the biggest issue of all: an ageing population. Europe’s baby boom started in the 1950s and the proportion of retirees relative to the working population, therefore, is beginning to rise. This will inevitably [...]
Who’s switching jobs October 22, 2012 Baird Jonathan Bourn has been appointed managing director in Baird’s European investment banking team. He was previously a partner at AAC Capital. Bourn has also held roles in Credit Suisse First Boston’s acquisition and leveraged finance group. Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty The insurance firm has appointed Elke Vagenende as head of product development, financial [...]
Progress for RBS as it drops state insurance cover October 17, 2012 STATE-BACKED bank RBS yesterday exited the scheme set up to insure its toxic assets at the height of the financial crisis, indicating the lender and regulators have confidence that it is moving back to health. The Asset Protection Scheme (APS) was established to backstop a £282bn portfolio of risky loans and investments, as part of [...]
BP results boost FTSE 100 October 30, 2012 The blue chip index was trading up this morning, as a strong performance from oil major BP pushed up the FTSE 100. Trading volumes were expected to be thinner than usual, as hurricane Sandy shut Wall Street for a second consecutive day. Oil behemoth BP, which this morning announced it was hiking its dividend by [...]
City Moves | Who’s switching Jobs September 11, 2012 Arbuthnot Latham The private bank has appointed Liz Bottomley to the role of head of private banking. She most recently worked for Coutts, where she was senior manager and client partner in its international private banking division. Bottomley has over 25 years’ experience in the industry, and takes up her position with immediate effect. Old [...]
UBS is still a big player despite recent predicaments November 22, 2012 Anybody taking just a cursory glance at the headlines about UBS’s investment bank recently, might be forgiven for thinking it was something of a basket case. What with the news of a plan to shrink headcount by 10,000, a strategic refocusing of strategy away from high risk, complex trading products, followed by a guilty verdict [...]
City Moves | Who’s switching Jobs October 11, 2012 Reech AiM Group The international asset management group has appointed Daniel Betts as client services director. He joins Reech from Aviva Investors, where he was most recently client relationship manager. He will oversee all client service functions and will report directly to the chief executive officer Christophe Reech. Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Neil Tong has [...]
FTSE 100 up on earnings boost November 1, 2012 The leading share index was higher in early deals this morning, buoyed by upmarket manufacturing data from China and blue chip earnings. Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Dutch Shell, BT Group, BSkyB and Legal & General all flattered the FTSE 100 in early trading. On the FTSE All-Share, credit card insurer CPP Group continued its rise [...]