Inside Track: Lord Davies still in the running for both RBS and Lloyds August 7, 2013 LORD Davies, the former trade minister and one of the City’s most distinguished bankers, is not a man who gives up easily. So it must have been galling that the share price of Lloyds Banking Group has put on a gallop in recent weeks, faster than the famous black stallion that adorns its logo. Project [...]
UK house prices growth continues forward march January 14, 2014 House prices increased 5.4 per cent in the 12 months to November 2013 – down from the 5.5 per cent increase seen from October 2012 to 2013 but still showing growth gaining momentum across the country, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. England saw 5.6 per cent growth in the 12 months, [...]
Financial and economic flaws in the SNP’s plan make the case for Union November 26, 2013 THE SCOTTISH government independence White Paper, released yesterday, fell flat. If length were the measure of success, it would be a winner. But despite hundreds of pages, it failed to answer the critical questions that Scots have about independence, and it certainly failed to make any case for breaking up the United Kingdom. Economic and [...]
Former RBS chief executive gives blessing to successor Ross McEwan August 2, 2013 The Royal Bank of Scotland has formally announced the appointment of Ross McEwan to the position of chief executive alongside its half yearly results including a pre-tax profit of £1.4bn (full results). McEwan, head of RBS’s retail arm, will begin working from 1 October 2013. Chairman Philip Hampton said he has already become a “champion” [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 09 December 2013 December 9, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES HSBC eyes listing of £20bn UK bank HSBC has sounded out investors about a flotation of its UK arm, in a move that would realise value from its high street banking business and address regulatory pressures. The bank has in recent weeks asked investors whether they would support the sale of a sizeable [...]
Why bank data transparency could lead to a better functioning market December 18, 2013 FEW would find it hard to spot the difference between Stoke Newington and Salford. It’s certainly more than 200 miles that divides the North London district and the regenerating Manchester borough, now home to the BBC’s MediaCityUK. But earlier this week, banks published figures showing that both these places are hotspots for small and medium-sized [...]
Letters to the Editor – 28/11 – Scots referendum, Bank ringfence, Best of Twitter November 27, 2013 Scots referendum [Re: Financial and economic flaws in the SNP’s plan make the case for Union, yesterday] I agree with Alistair Darling. Currency union requires political union, as demonstrated by the euro experience. It would be foolish to repeat the same mistake here. Meanwhile, Scotland having its own currency would increase the cost of selling [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 28 November 2013 November 27, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES JPMorgan eyed metals unit in 2012 JPMorgan Chase drew up plans to sell part of its metals warehousing empire last year as it faced pressure to show regulators that the business fitted with the activities of a bank, according to newly released documents. American-US Airways merger cleared The long-running effort to merge US [...]
Help to Buy assists 155 per cent boost in Nationwide profits November 15, 2013 British building society Nationwide has reported a whopping underlying profit increase of 155 per cent, for the six months to the end of September. Underlying profit was £332m compared to £130m during the same period in 2012. Nationwide attributed the dramatic growth to increased lending and a burst of new customers switching to the building [...]
Everything revealed in the Budget March 19, 2014 Apparently this a budget for makers, doers, and savers. But enough of the buzzwords, onto the substance. GrowthThe UK grew by three times as much as the OBR predicted at the budget last year. Now the OBR has revised its growth forecasts up. 2014 should see growth of 2.7 per cent, up from the 2.4 [...]