BEST OF THE BROKERS January 17, 2010 ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS Evolution Securities has upgraded its target price to 950p on its “buy” recommendation of ABF. Despite a recent rally, Evo said the company “still looks compelling value” with earnings forecast at 66p. It said all three of ABF’s largest divisions (Primark, Grocery and Sugar) are firing on all cylinders, and expects further [...]
Aviva plans Dutch listing of Delta Lloyd August 6, 2009 INSURER Aviva saw its shares rocket yesterday after it said profits recovered strongly in the first half as it unveiled plans to offer 25 to 30 per cent of its Dutch unit Delta Lloyd to markets in a move that could raise €1bn (£855m). Shares of the firm surged by 9.7 per cent after the [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS March 23, 2010 Ernst & Young Dawn Aloof has joined EY from rival PricewaterhouseCoopers, to lead its Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) financial services transaction integration practice. Aloof also previously spent 15 years at Barclays, where she was responsible for clients’ global operating strategy, planning and M&A operations. She is joined by four ex-PwC colleagues: Ari [...]
Aviva reassures on capital July 15, 2009 Insurer Aviva’s regulatory capital cushion is getting stronger, and the group is not planning any further disposals, its chief executive, Andrew Moss, said yesterday. In an interview, Moss said Aviva, the UK’s second-biggest insurer, had called time on disposals after offloading Aviva Australia to National Australia Bank in June, adding £400m to its capital cushion. [...]
Aviva reassures on capital July 15, 2009 Insurer Aviva’s regulatory capital cushion is getting stronger, and the group is not planning any further disposals, its chief executive, Andrew Moss, said yesterday. In an interview, Moss said Aviva, the UK’s second-biggest insurer, had called time on disposals after offloading Aviva Australia to National Australia Bank in June, adding £400m to its capital cushion. [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS February 25, 2010 Rothschild Rothschild has appointed Mark Kary (pictured) and Helen Watson as managing directors in its private banking & trust division. Kary joins from Polar Capital Holdings where he was chief executive officer and prior to that he spent 19 years at Morgan Stanley. Watson also joins Rothschild from Morgan Stanley where she worked in the [...]
PANTHER BOSS ON A TRIP INTO NOSTALGIA April 26, 2010 ANDREW Perloff, the eccentric chairman of property firm Panther Securities, has something of a cult following among City investors due to his penchant for using company results statements as an excuse to reminisce at length about life’s little quirks. But yesterday’s final results announcement was a corker even by Perloff’s own standards, ranging from fervent [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF February 23, 2010 Goode signing for Worcester RUGBY UNION: Relegation-threatened Worcester have landed a coup by completing the signing of England international fly-half Andy Goode for next season. The Brive star will make the move to Sixways after finishing a five-week deal with South African Super 14 side, Sharks. Warriors director of rugby Mike Ruddock is a long-term [...]
Hubris is always CEOs’ worst enemy March 18, 2010 IT has been an embarrassing couple of days for Tidjane Thiam, Prudential’s chief executive. On Wednesday, he accepted a non-executive directorship at Societe Generale, the French bank; 48 hours later, he had changed his mind, after a backlash from City institutions already upset at the looming dilution to their holdings from the Pru’s planned $21bn [...]
RBS ponders sale of HQ at Gogarburn February 1, 2010 JUST five years after the completion of Gogarburn – Royal Bank of Scotland’s vast headquarters near Edinburgh and the darling of disgraced former chief Sir Fred Goodwin – and the £350m office complex may already be heading for the block. RBS is considering the merits of a sale and leaseback of the property to shore [...]