The figures reveal exactly what the big in Big Four really means September 16, 2012 RECORD revenues ought to be nothing but a good thing, but in PwC’s case it will also underline existing concerns, in the context of the Competition Commission [CC] taking an interest in whether the Big Four are too dominant in the audit marketplace. An appreciation of why can be seen in survey results published by [...]
Firms forced to state number of female workers October 18, 2012 COMPANIES will be required to publish the number of women and men they employ in an attempt to weed out sexism and ensure women are not excluded for top jobs, the government announced yesterday. The rule change – due to be introduced in October 2013 – is part of a wide-ranging set of reforms to [...]
FTSE 350 pension deficits rise January 23, 2012 Large companies’ pensions deficits rose sharply last year, fresh data showed yesterday. FTSE 350 deficits, recorded under accounting rule IAS19, jumped to £67bn in 2011, compared to £43bn at the start of the year. Actuarial firm Hymans Robertson, which compiled the data, said the results masked an even more severe deterioration in companies’ positions.
Dividend pay abandoned by more FTSE firms October 7, 2012 THE number of non-dividend paying FTSE firms is creeping back up to historic highs with nearly 14 per cent of listed firms now turning their back on regular payouts, research revealed yesterday. Data from Absolute Strategy Research, a City research firm, shows 13.8 per cent of firms on the FTSE 350 index have shunned dividend [...]
Watchdog says no signs yet of audit collusion September 24, 2012 THE COMPETITION Commission said its probe of the country’s market for company audits had not uncovered any evidence so far of collusion among the Big Four accounting firms over market share. Yesterday’s paper is the watchdog’s first comments of substance since it formally launched its investigation last year, with preliminary findings due in November. The [...]
Watchdog says no signs yet of audit collusion September 24, 2012 THE COMPETITION Commission said its probe of the country’s market for company audits had not uncovered any evidence so far of collusion among the Big Four accounting firms over market share. Yesterday’s paper is the watchdog’s first comments of substance since it formally launched its investigation last year, with preliminary findings due in November. The [...]
Rolls-Royce wins Air Lease order February 4, 2013 Rolls-Royce has netted an order for its Trent XWB engines worth $1.1bn (£699m) at list prices from leasing company Air Lease Corporation. The engines will be used to power 25 of Air Lease’s Airbus aircraft. Additionally, Air Lease has an option for an extra five aircraft. The Trent XWB engine – specially designed for the [...]
FTSE edges up as banks and mining shares find favour with investors September 27, 2012 GAINS by bank and mining stocks helped lift Britain’s benchmark share index yesterday, although investors said worries over the Eurozone could limit further moves higher and favour more defensive sectors such as food or health stocks. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index, which fell 1.6 per cent on Wednesday to a three-week low, recovered slightly to [...]
FTSE 350 chairmen are failing to inspire a governance culture December 11, 2011 ONLY 10 per cent of chairmen provide any meaningful insights into how they implement an appropriate governance culture throughout their organisation, according to Grant Thornton’s FTSE 350 corporate governance review. The report also revealed that only 43 per cent of chairmen use their annual report statement to refer to the company’s governance practice. Simon Lowe, [...]
FTSE hits the brakes on 2013 rally as banks and miners lose ground January 22, 2013 BRITAIN’S leading share index eased a touch yesterday, stalling after a recent push up to its highest level in four-and-a-half years, weighed by falls in financials and mining stocks. Banks were the biggest sector fallers, knocking over four points off the FTSE 100, with traders citing profit-taking after recent gains, and caution over a report [...]