INSURANCE COMPANY OF THE YEAR | The Shortlist day eight June 28, 2011 Insurance companies have endured an exceptionally costly year so far thanks to a bitter winter in Europe and devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. Insured losses in the first quarter alone are at a record level, testing the discipline of firms’ risk management. As the largest insurance hub in Europe, the City’s insurers play [...]
Esure founder meets banks to discuss a float May 25, 2011 PETER Wood, chairman of UK motor insurer Esure, has been meeting investment banks to discuss its path to a stock market flotation, the company confirmed yesterday. Wood, an insurance industry sage who founded Direct Line in 1985 and Esure in 2000, has met bankers for very early stage talks over listing it on the London [...]
Chief of Lloyd’s warns insurers to raise rates or risk collapse May 17, 2011 ANY further major catastrophe will have a dramatic effect on the insurance industry, the head of the Lloyd’s of London market said yesterday. A run of serious natural disasters since the start of the year, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, have depleted insurers’ reserves and another large event could eat into their capital [...]
Chief of Lloyd’s warns insurers to raise rates or risk collapse May 17, 2011 ANY further major catastrophe will have a dramatic effect on the insurance industry, the head of the Lloyd’s of London market said yesterday. A run of serious natural disasters since the start of the year, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, have depleted insurers’ reserves and another large event could eat into their capital [...]
ALL CHANGE AT LLOYD’S AS IT RINGS 25 YEARS May 26, 2011 IT MAY seem like only yesterday for many City veterans, but today marks 25 years since the first managing agents moved into the landmark Lloyd’s building on Lime Street. So happy anniversary to the insurance giant, which still shows traces of more than 300 years of Lloyd’s history, such as the famous Lutine Bell, which [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS June 13, 2011 HSBC Alternative Investments The division responsible for hedge funds, private equity and real estate offerings across the HSBC group has appointed Simon Jennings as managing director, head of private equity. Jennings has more than 22 years of private equity investment experience. Most recently, he co-founded and ran the private equity business at UBS Wealth Management, [...]
Commodity falls and fears for stress tests see FTSE decline July 14, 2011 FALLS among commodity issues sapped the strength of Britain’s top share index yesterday, as worries over global growth clouded the demand outlook for metals and oils. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was down 59.48 points, or one per cent at 5,846.95, reversing all and more of the previous session’s 0.6 per cent rally. [...]
Commodity falls and fears for stress tests see FTSE decline July 14, 2011 FALLS among commodity issues sapped the strength of Britain’s top share index yesterday, as worries over global growth clouded the demand outlook for metals and oils. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was down 59.48 points, or one per cent at 5,846.95, reversing all and more of the previous session’s 0.6 per cent rally. [...]
HMV DEBT REFINANCING June 7, 2011 Q.WHAT DOES THIS HMV REFINANCING INVOLVE? A.HMV’s lenders RBS and Lloyds have agreed to supply two term loans of £70m and £90m that mature in September 2013, and a £60m revolving credit facility. The deal refinances its previous £240m debt facility with £220m of fresh debt. The banks will charge HMV interest of four per [...]
Miners buoy FTSE but ratings threat casts shadow May 24, 2011 Mining stocks put the FTSE 100 on the front foot in early trading as metal prices rose – boosted by Goldman Sachs recommending investors to buy into commodities. Commodities trader Glencore made its full market debt and rose slightly from its price on the so-call grey market, but remained below the 530p offer price of [...]