Stan Chart in line for $6bn June 28, 2010 STANDARD Chartered stayed on track to deliver around $6bn (£4bn) in full-year pre-tax profits yesterday as it said its consumer and wholesale divisions traded strongly in the first half. The London-listed bank, which focuses on Asia, said improving economic conditions and client confidence meant income and profits ran at record levels for the five months [...]
Standard Chartered June 28, 2010 SUCCESS stories of this magnitude are always a little too good to be true. On the face of it, Standard Chartered is probably the strongest of the major banks: it avoided the worst of the crisis; its Asian focus means it is exposed to some of the world’s fastest-growing nations; and it holds a negligible [...]
FTSE losing streak ends after mining gains and improved economic outlook June 28, 2010 Britain’s leading shares rose yesterday as gains for miners and improved sentiment over global economic recovery more than offset weakness in bank stocks, after Standard Chartered results lagged expectations. The FTSE 100 closed up 25.21 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,071.68, snapping a four-session losing streak. Index moves were accentuated as volumes remained light, [...]
Standard Chartered upbeat after Asian market boost June 28, 2010 STANDARD Chartered said it was on track for a strong first-half performance as its key Asian markets fared better than the west and it grabbed market share. However, it admitted that recent economic turbulence had hurt business. The bank said in a trading update Monday that increased economic uncertainty had resulted in a weakening in [...]
THE TIPSTER June 27, 2010 IT WAS good news for the pound at the end of last week. Sterling-dollar briefly rose above $1.50 last week – its highest point since mid-May – after the markets signalled overall approval of the Budget package. But with the Federal Reserve reiterating its pledge to keep interest rates low for an extended period, the [...]
Two-week low for the FTSE as metals and miners tumble June 23, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index hit a near two-week closing low yesterday as retreating metals prices and downbeat broker sentiment pressured mining stocks and with investors’ moods darkened by weak US homes sales data. The FTSE 100 index closed down 68.46 points, or 1.3 per cent, at 5,178.52, its lowest close since 11 June, having lost [...]
Budget brings down bank shares but delay in VAT rise gives retailers a boost June 22, 2010 WEAKER commodity stocks pulled Britain’s top share index lower yesterday, while retailers got a lift from the first emergency Budget from Britain’s new coalition government after an expected valued added tax rise was delayed. At the close, the FTSE was down 52.1 points, or 1.0 per cent, at 5,246.98, having hit its highest closing level [...]
Budget brings down bank shares but delay in VAT rise gives retailers a boost June 22, 2010 WEAKER commodity stocks pulled Britain’s top share index lower yesterday, while retailers got a lift from the first emergency Budget from Britain’s new coalition government after an expected valued added tax rise was delayed. At the close, the FTSE was down 52.1 points, or 1.0 per cent, at 5,246.98, having hit its highest closing level [...]
AgBank lines up sovereign funds June 21, 2010 Sovereign wealth funds from Qatar and Kuwait have agreed to invest $3.6bn (£2.4bn) as cornerstone investors in the $23bn initial public offering (IPO) of China’s Agricultural Bank. Singaporean wealth fund Temasek and Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong’s richest man, have also queued up for a slice of what is tipped to be the biggest flotation in [...]
AgBank lines up sovereign funds June 21, 2010 Sovereign wealth funds from Qatar and Kuwait have agreed to invest $3.6bn (£2.4bn) as cornerstone investors in the $23bn initial public offering (IPO) of China’s Agricultural Bank. Singaporean wealth fund Temasek and Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong’s richest man, have also queued up for a slice of what is tipped to be the biggest flotation in [...]