UK firms look to more upbeat 2013 economy January 2, 2013 BUSINESS expects the UK’s bumpy economic ride to stabilise into growth during 2013, according to two surveys out this morning. Company directors are far more optimistic than 12 months ago, according to a poll from the Institute of Directors (IoD). The number of directors who thought 2013 would be better than 2012 surged ahead of [...]
Who’s switching jobs December 19, 2012 Kleinwort Benson Nick Bennett has been appointed head of private wealth management in the private bank’s Guernsey office. He joins from Schroders Private Banking, where he was most recently head of private banking in the Channel Islands. Bennett has also held roles at Lloyds TSB. Development Securities The property investment firm has appointed Marcus Shepherd [...]
Depardieu blasts French PM for calling Belgium move pathetic December 17, 2012 FRENCH ACTOR Gerard Depardieu yesterday launched a blistering verbal assault on French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault for calling his decision to move to Belgium pathetic. “Pathetic, you said pathetic? How pathetic is that?” Depardieu wrote in an open letter. “I am leaving because you believe that success, creation, talent, anything different must be sanctioned,” the [...]
Income growth at lowest level since late 2010 October 14, 2012 CONSUMERS came in for a hammering in September, data from Lloyds TSB showed today, as annual income growth hit its lowest level since December 2010. Real discretionary spending power dived 0.9 per cent last month, after 2.2 per cent growth in August, leaving consumers with around £100 a year less to spend on non-essential items, [...]
London firms say output is growing again December 9, 2012 LONDON firms boosted their activity and output in November, after a gloomy October. London’s composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose from 49.1 in October to 51.9 in November, Lloyds said this morning, through the crucial 50 level that indicates no change, and from decline to expansion. This London return to growth came with a less [...]
Top schools fuel house price hike January 24, 2013 AGOOD education can cost parents more than just tuition fees. Trends show that top performing schools drive house prices in their local neighbourhoods by nearly a third more than the national average. Little wonder, then, that developers are constructing luxury schemes in these sought-after areas. Wimbledon Hill Park is going down well with parents keen [...]
Red tape is top issue for finance October 2, 2012 Regulatory change is the biggest issue facing firms in the financial sector, ahead of the Eurozone crisis and global economic uncertainty, data from the Economist Intelligence Unit and Lloyds TSB revealed yesterday. Some 68 per cent of financial sector respondents to the survey put red tape changes as their biggest worry – versus 62 per [...]
London leads a bounceback in business activity in August September 9, 2012 LONDON drove a recovery in business activity during August, a business survey revealed today, as declines across England and Wales were arrested and reversed. Activity bounced back convincingly, according to Lloyds TSB’s regional purchasing managers’ index (PMI), with the UK recording a score of 52.7 in August – up from 49.5 in July, and above [...]
City A.M. | MPC votes 7-2 against any new policy December 5, 2012 ALLISTER HEATH | CITY A.M. “No new quantitative easing and no further cut to rates. Quantitative easing (QE) needs to be halted – despite worrying signs that the economy has ground to a halt again, not least dire purchasing managers’ index (PMI) business survey figures – because it is a key contributor to the rise [...]
Valere Capital backs our appeal November 28, 2012 THE CAPITALIST asks Mark Preston, principal of Valere Capital, why the firm is supporting the City A.M. Christmas Appeal this year. Why are Valere Capital supporting Opportunity International? The relationship between us came about due to my involvement with Opportunity when I was co-head of Corporate Markets at Lloyds TSB. With the support of my [...]