Lower commodity prices and concerns over Greek debt weigh on FTSE stocks April 21, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index ended down yesterday as lower commodity prices hit miners and oil stocks and concerns over Greece’s debt returned to haunt banks, though positive broker comment boosted food retailers. The FTSE 100 index closed down 60.26 points, or 1 per cent, at 5,723.43, giving back Tuesday’s one per cent gain. “Equity sentiment [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 5, 2010 Advent International The private equity firm has hired Kevin Beeston, the outgoing chairman of Serco Group, as an operating partner. Beeston will be tasked with helping Advent identify investment opportunities in the business services sector, and will also continue in his role as chairman of Advent’s portfolio company Domestic & General. He has worked for [...]
Lloyds throws weight behind Daniels amid succession talk March 29, 2010 LLOYDS Banking Group last night moved to quash speculation that chief executive Eric Daniels is about to be replaced. Talks of Lloyds hiring City head hunter JCA Group to draw up a short list of potential candidates was dismissed by the banking giant, which threw its weight behind Daniels. A spokesperson said: “Eric Daniels is [...]
Brit Insurance shares rocket after it recommends CVC and Apollo takeover September 20, 2010 SHARES in Brit Insurance roared upwards yesterday after it advised shareholders to accept an £850m joint offer from buyout firm CVC Capital Partners and original bidder Apollo. Brit closed up 4.1 per cent at £10.28 yesterday as the markets reacted to news of the joint bid on Friday. The price values the listed element of [...]
FTSE 100 closes up as the market is boosted by rising mining companies April 26, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index closed higher yesterday, boosted by miners as metals rose and overcoming wariness about the outcome of Greece’s debt problem. The FTSE 100 closed up 30.20 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,753.85, extending Friday’s one per cent rally, but below yesterday’s intra-day peak of 5,800.66. Antofagasta, Eurasian Natural Resources and Kazakhmys [...]
At last, the banks are reaching out to UK Plc October 13, 2010 THERE are two possible ways forward for the banking industry. The first is to do nothing and try and brave out the storm, chucking the occasional insult at detractors. The second is to show some humility, reach out, make sensible reforms – and invest some of its own cash – to improve matters and fight [...]
Coup at HSBC September 23, 2010 HSBC CHIEF executive Michael Geoghegan is set to step down from his role before the end of the year to make way for investment banker Stuart Gulliver, after a boardroom coup that will rock the banking sector. Geoghegan’s ego will be dealt a further blow with the appointment of HSBC’s finance director Douglas Flint as [...]
Lloyds Group August 4, 2010 SAME script, different cast. Eric Daniels is still in the role of greedy banker, but the morally outraged chorus is now played by Messrs Cameron, Osborne and Cable. “Lend to every two-bit small business that asks for cash,” they chant, with just as much zeal as their predecessors, Brown, Darling and Mandelson. Of course, they [...]
Osborne labels Budget empty and unrealistic March 25, 2010 GEORGE Osborne, shadow chancellor, tore into Alistair Darling’s budget proposals in the Commons yesterday, labelling them “empty” and “an exercise in politics, not an example of governing”. The chancellor failed to outline plans on how the government would cut the Budget deficit, which could yet see the UK’s credit rating slashed before the next general [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 16, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES HEDGE FUNDS HIT BY MAY VOLATILITY Some of the world’s biggest hedge funds have suffered significant losses this month after high levels of volatility across markets and the shortlived stock market plunge in New York combined to wipe billions from portfolios. Losses in the first week of May alone erased all gains made [...]