London rises as miners and energy companies set pace March 1, 2010 LONDON’S top share index rose one per cent yesterday as big gains from miners and energy stocks, boosted by firmer commodity prices, outpaced faltering banks following disappointing results from HSBC. The FTSE 100 closed 51.42 points higher at 5,405.94 points, having hit a five-week high earlier in the session of 5,420.83. The index has rebounded [...]
City workers slam class war Budget March 24, 2010 THE City was left unconvinced by yesterday’s Budget, slamming Darling for failing to provide a clear outline on how the government was planning to reduce its huge deficit. Banks were being sent a contradictory message, critics said, pointing out that Darling has asked nationalised banks such as Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland to [...]
Standard Life unveils new board team January 18, 2010 STANDARD LIFE, Scotland’s biggest insurer, yesterday announced the first major appointments under its new chief executive. In a major re-shuffle, incoming boss David Nish appointed Christian Torkington and Sandy Begbie to the board of executives. Torkington joined the firm from RSA Insurance Group, where he was chief operating officer. Prior to this he held senior [...]
London’s top shares tumble as oil and mining companies slip February 25, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading shares fell 1.2 per cent yesterday, sliding back in the afternoon in tandem with New York stocks, with miners and oils the main drag as commodity prices fell back pressured by a firmer US dollar. By the close, the FTSE 100 index was 64.69 points lower at 5,278.23, reversing again after Wednesday’s 0.5 [...]
RBS is a ‘prisoner of the market’ on bonuses January 12, 2010 Royal Bank of Scotland is forced to pay large bonuses because it is a “prisoner of the market” chief executive Stephen Hester has told a parliamentary committee. Facing the cross party group of MPs he said that RBS was paying “the minimum we can get away with in the market place”. Hester also claimed that [...]
FTSE rises as commodities and financials set the pace March 3, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading shares gained 0.9 per cent yesterday, boosted by strength in miners and oils, banks and life insurers, as upbeat US data lifted Wall Street. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 49.15 points higher at 5,533.21, ending at a seven-week peak on its fourth straight session of gains. “All the figures were pretty [...]
GLIMMERS OF HOPE WITHIN THE UK’S SLUGGISH RECOVERY March 17, 2010 IT seems that every week the UK economy clocks up more evidence of its disappointing recovery from the recession. The spectre of a hung parliament and a mountainous fiscal deficit is only adding to the image of the UK as the sick man of Europe. And the UK does indeed look sick. It can’t even [...]
Hays has seen City jobs rise since Easter July 8, 2010 PRIVATE sector growth is offsetting cuts to public sector jobs, according to recruitment giant Hays, though fees earned in the UK fell six per cent in the last three months to to 30 June. The firm said the private sector had seen a 10 per cent growth in net fees since the last quarter, with [...]
Hays has seen City jobs rise since Easter July 8, 2010 PRIVATE sector growth is offsetting cuts to public sector jobs, according to recruitment giant Hays, though fees earned in the UK fell six per cent in the last three months to to 30 June. The firm said the private sector had seen a 10 per cent growth in net fees since the last quarter, with [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS January 10, 2010 TED BAKER Singer Capital maintains a “buy” rating for Ted Baker after strong trading from 1 November to 24 December. Retail sales growth for this period was 19.1 per cent and trading was up 14.3 per cent year-on-year. It says Ted Baker’s collections are doing well and has revised its target price from 505p to [...]