Choosing the right lender is crucial in a tough market June 3, 2010 HOUSES are selling like hotcakes thanks to fierce competition among buyers. The latest monthly survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed that houses are shifting quicker than new ones could come on to the market, despite the number of new sellers increasing. Even the dreaded gazumping is back. In such a market, [...]
LISTED PRODUCT NEWS April 21, 2010 FIRST LISTING FOR RBS’S ETC PLATFORM Standard Commodities, the Royal Bank of Scotland’s exchange-traded commodities (ETC) platform, launched its first product on the Frankfurt Xetra stock exchange this week. Its physical gold ETC gives investors exposure to the performance of the London gold market fix price and the ETC is denominated in euros. The ETC [...]
Virgin secures funding for RBS branch offer March 22, 2010 Virgin Money has secured financial backing as it seeks to press ahead with a bid for RBS branches. The consumer credit arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin group has arranged financing from Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth funds and private equity firm Blackstone, ahead of a bid for 320 Royal Bank of Scotland branches. The branches have an [...]
Darling set for offshore crackdown March 22, 2010 ALISTAIR Darling will use tomorrow’s Budget to step up the government’s crackdown on offshore tax evasion by doubling the maximum penalty. Treasury sources said that the chancellor thinks he can protect £1bn of revenue by increasing the penalty to 200 per cent of tax owed. The measures are tougher than the ones announced in the [...]
Lloyds’ remuneration chairman quits ahead of investor showdown March 22, 2010 The head of the remuneration committee at Lloyds Banking Group will retire in May, sidestepping a potential fight with shareholders over the bonus awarded to the bailed-out bank’s chief executive. Wolfgang Berndt, 67, will step down from the board at the bank’s annual shareholder meeting, Lloyd’s said. He is leaving just months after approving a [...]
RBS unveils a £1.25bn boost to its finances March 25, 2010 ROYAL Bank of Scotland (RBS) yesterday unveiled a plan to restructure up to £15.8bn of debt in a balance sheet overhaul that will generate a £1.25bn gain for the bailed-out bank. RBS, 84-per cent government-owned after it was rescued at the height of the financial crisis, flagged the move last month. It said yesterday it [...]
FTSE 100 declines on weaker metal prices and concerns over Greek debt April 8, 2010 Britain’s top share index posted its steepest one-day decline in six weeks yesterday, pressured by miners hit by weaker metals prices, and banks on revived concern over Greece’s debt. The FTSE 100 closed 49.36 points, or 0.9 per cent, lower at 5,712.70, its lowest close since March 31, after it shed 0.3 per cent on [...]
Lloyds pumps up CEO’s bonus March 28, 2010 LLOYDS Banking Group has rewritten chief executive Eric Daniels’ bonus contract, meaning he will receive up to £2.8m in shares this year. Daniels will be entitled to as much as 275 per cent of his £1m salary as a long-term bonus, up from 200 per cent last year. Added to his fixed annual reward of [...]
Ineos set for Swiss move as tax fears rise April 11, 2010 CHEMICALS group Ineos has confirmed it will shift its tax residency from the UK to Switzerland in a move it believes will save the company £400m over the next four years. Ineos, the largest privately owned company in Britain by turnover, said it had received the thumbs-up for the relocation from its lenders, including state-owned [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 20, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK PUBLISHERS FEAR THREAT OF DIGITAL PIRACY Publishers have warned that the fight against illegal copying of digital books could impose a huge cost on the industry, raising fears of a new wave of online piracy. Gail Rebuck, chairman and chief executive of The Random House Group, part of Bertelsmann, said illegal copying [...]