Yell investors put pressure on its lenders September 13, 2009 AILING directories publisher Yell is sounding out its shareholders for a rights issue of up to £500m, it emerged yesterday, as the company seeks to refinance its £3.8bn debt mountain. But investors will only support an equity raising if banks agree to relax the terms of a debt repayment programme, it is understood. In June, [...]
A new Glass-Steagall Act wouldn’t work October 20, 2009 WHEN the Governor of the Bank of England – and if the Tories are elected, the next chief financial regulator – calls for investment banks to be separated from retail banks, everybody should sit up and listen carefully. King seems deadly serious, and George Osborne said last night that he agreed with much of the [...]
Return of optimism bolsters FTSE as JP Morgan cheers October 14, 2009 BRITAIN’S top share index surged 2 per cent yesterday, hitting its highest closing level in more than a year, as quarterly earnings from JPMorgan Chase and Intel lifted investor's sentiment. The FTSE 100 ended up 101.95 points higher at 5,256.10, after closing 1.1 per cent weaker on Tuesday. The UK benchmark, which tumbled more than [...]
US stocks shoot up on stronger data October 5, 2009 US stocks shot higher yesterday, ending a four-day losing streak as optimism about upcoming earnings gathered steam and data showed the services sector expanded for the first time since August 2008. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 112.08 points, or 1.18 per cent, at 9,599.75. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index closed up 15.23 [...]
Lloyds tops list of complaints against high street banks September 15, 2009 LLOYDS Banking Group has emerged as the major UK bank with the highest level of successful complaints made about it by consumers in the first half of the year, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). FOS data reveals that 81 per cent of cases settled in the six months to 30 June involving Lloyds [...]
Banks drag down the FTSE as miners and energy drop October 13, 2009 BRITAIN’S top shares closed 1.1 per cent lower yesterday, as weakness in banks outweighed strength in defensive issues, while sentiment was dampened by falls on Wall Street after disappointing corporate earnings. The benchmark FTSE 100 closed 56.02 points lower at 5,154.15, slipping below the 5,200 level which it hit for the first time in more [...]
The City lawyer who argues that banking has become even riskier November 4, 2009 T o David Morley, the phrase “it is better to travel than to arrive” must sound pretty strange, an expression invented only for those unfortunate souls who have not learnt to move at speed. For Morley, who joined top law firm Allen & Overy in 1980 and has led it as senior partner since last [...]
Bank hate is exaggerated and simplistic August 3, 2009 IF WE are to believe most commentators, it is an outrage that Barclays and HSBC were able to report decent profits yesterday. The main reason, apparently, is that there are “fears” that lending remains too tight, and that the dreaded “bonus culture” will return. Needless to say, had the banks reported a collapse in earnings, [...]
Bank hate is exaggerated and simplistic August 3, 2009 IF WE are to believe most commentators, it is an outrage that Barclays and HSBC were able to report decent profits yesterday. The main reason, apparently, is that there are “fears” that lending remains too tight, and that the dreaded “bonus culture” will return. Needless to say, had the banks reported a collapse in earnings, [...]
Upbeat economic sentiment boosts FTSE to above 5,000 October 5, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed higher yesterday after US Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing data came in better than forecast, with miners and banks the best performing sectors. The index closed up 35.63 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 5,024.33, after tumbling nearly 60 points on Friday to a near three-week closing low below the 5,000 [...]