Banks take FTSE 100 lower after US figures disappoint October 15, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed lower on yesterday as banks fell after US banking earnings failed to meet some expectations, while miners tracked metal prices down. The index ended down 0.6 per cent, or 33.15 points at 5,222.95, retreating from a 56-week closing high set on Wednesday. Although third-quarter earnings from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup came [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS October 6, 2009 ThreadneedleThe asset management firm has appointed Kris Haber as global head of hedge funds and head of the North American business. Haber, who will report directly to the firm’s chief executive Crispin Henderson, joins after a 13-year spell working for Lazard Asset Management, where he was most recently a managing director for global alternative investments. [...]
NAB snaps up Challenger unit August 18, 2009 National Australia Bank, the top lender in Australia, said yesterday it has agreed to buy Challenger Financial Services’ mortgage unit for A$385m (£192m) to up its market share. NAB said the deal would give it an additional A$4bn worth of residential mortgages. The acquisition follows its purchase of Aviva’s Australian businesses in June for A$825m, [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 29, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed marginally lower yesterday as buoyant financials struggled against disappointing US data, falls from miners and Vodafone. The index closed 5.98 points, or 0.1 per cent, lower at 5,159.72, after a choppy day of trading, having ended Monday’s session 1.6 per cent firmer. Miners were among the biggest laggards, with investors plagued [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 29, 2009 AvivaThe insurer has appointed Andrea Moneta, chief executive of its European business, to its PLC board with immediate effect. Moneta joined the firm in July 2008 to lead its European operations outside the UK. Prior to that, he was managing director of Dubai Financial Group and has also held senior executive positions with the European [...]
The Pru raises its dividend as boss departs August 13, 2009 INSURER Prudential outpaced its rivals yesterday when it raised its interim dividend and reported a smaller-than-expected drop in first-half profit. The UK’s largest insurer said its operating profit fell eight per cent to £1.25bn on the widely recognised European embedded value measure (EEV) – which tracks future earnings from life insurance policies – compared to [...]
The Pru raises its dividend as boss departs August 13, 2009 INSURER Prudential outpaced its rivals yesterday when it raised its interim dividend and reported a smaller-than-expected drop in first-half profit. The UK’s largest insurer said its operating profit fell eight per cent to £1.25bn on the widely recognised European embedded value measure (EEV) – which tracks future earnings from life insurance policies – compared to [...]
FTSEcloses at one-year high as energy and mining rally October 12, 2009 RALLYING energy stocks and miners, spurred by firmer commodity prices and growing optimism on the corporate outlook and global economy, helped the top share index to its highest close in over a year yesterday. Global equity markets were given a shot in the arm by forecast-beating results from Philips ahead of earnings from other major [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS July 14, 2009 Piper JaffrayThe international middle market investment bank announced the appointment of Martin Brennan as associate for its technology banking team, which is led by Eric Sanschagrin. Brennan was previously senior associate at FirstCapital, a boutique telecoms, media and technology investment bank. He advised on nine technology Venture Capital and Private Equity financings and six M&A [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 24, 2009 F&C Commercial Property TrustThe trust has appointed John Stephen, currently an independent non-executive director, as its new chairman, effective from 31 October. Stephen will replace Peter Niven, pictured, who steps down as chairman after four years and will remain on the board as a non-executive director. Niven is also a director of Resolution, which recently [...]