Losses at RBS are slashed to just £3.6bn February 25, 2010 Royal Bank of Scotland claimed its darkest days have passed as it posted annual losses of £3.6bn – down from £24bn in 2008. The group’s core business – which includes only the departments that will remain after the bank is forced to restructure – saw profits jump from £4.4bn in 2008 to £8.3bn last year. [...]
RBS opens talks for US Sempra February 16, 2010 ROYAL Bank of Scotland has begun discussions with potential buyers for the US parts of its Sempra Commodities business after JPMorgan paid $1.7bn (£1.1bn) for the European and Asian arms. JPMorgan yesterday signed a deal for RBS Sempra’s global oil and metal trading operations, plus its coal and gas capabilities on the continent and in [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS March 10, 2010 Reed Smith The law firm has hired advertising law expert Marina Palomba to its partnership. Palomba joins the firm’s advertising group in London from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), where she has been legal director for eight years, advising all the main agencies in the UK including M&C Saatchi, Abbott Mead Vickers and [...]
FTSE 100 soars to 21-month high boosted by Greek bailout March 25, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares hit a 21-month closing high for the third day in a row yesterday, helped by a rally in banks as sovereign debt concerns faded, while retailers were boosted by upbeat results from Next and UK retail sales. The FTSE 100 ended 49.77 points higher at 5,727.65, finishing above the 5,700-mark for the [...]
Banks and commodities make gains as Wall Street is closed for public holiday February 15, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading shares rose 0.5 per cent yesterday, led by firmer banks and commodity issues after falls in the previous session, while British Airways climbed on increased hopes for a global alliance. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 25.02 points higher at 5,167.47, well below the session peak of 5,194.29. Blue chips drifted off [...]
Budget fails to boost market as FTSE 100 treads water March 24, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares added 0.1 per cent yesterday as strength in miners and banks was balanced out by weakness in energy issues, with little overall impact from a Budget that contained few surprises. At the close, the FTSE 100 was up 4.25 points at 5,677.88, having hit a fresh 21-month intra-day peak at 5,698.87 early [...]
Banks weigh on the FTSE as Credit Suisse warns of future funding crisis March 9, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index closed a touch lower yesterday, as a weakening in banks after a cautious research note from Credit Suisse slightly outpaced buoyant oil issues and drugmakers. The FTSE 100 ended down 4.42 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 5,602.30, having closed up 0.1 per cent on Monday, its highest close since 2 [...]
Just £1.3bn bonus pot … but more than 100 will get £1m February 25, 2010 More than 100 Royal Bank of Scotland bankers will receive bonuses of more than £1m. The news comes as RBS announced it will pay out just £1.3bn in bonuses this year – the lowest compensation ratio in the industry. The ratio is set at just 27 per cent, far below the 38 per cent revealed [...]
Oil and minerals bolster FTSE index despite banking and drugmaker lows March 8, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index hit an 18-month closing high yesterday, led by oil stocks and miners, while drugmakers fell with AstraZeneca pressured after its cancer drug failed in trials. The FTSE 100 ended up 6.96 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 5,606.72, its highest close since 2 September 2008. The index gained 4.6 per cent [...]
Virgin Money beefs up team for offensive January 18, 2010 Virgin Money has appointed three senior executives as part of its efforts to build a retail banking brand. Finlay Williamson, who was previously a finance director at Royal Bank of Scotland, becomes the group’s chief financial officer. Williamson takes the reins from Dave Dyer who is moving over to become international development director for the [...]