CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 24, 2010 Cobham The aerospace and defence systems group has appointed National Express chairman John Devaney as its new non-executive chairman, effective from February. Devaney, 62, has a wealth of experience in the business world. He has just stepped down as a non-executive director at Northern Rock, and has also previously been chairman of technology and telecoms [...]
Li Ka-Shing eyes Centrica stake as it seeks to invest June 28, 2009 THE RICHEST man in Asia, Li Ka-Shing, is understood to be one of four bidders for a stake in Centrica’s new wind farm. His Hongkong Electric company could provide cash for British Gas’ owner, which is looking for investment to help it snap up bargains in the downturn.It wants to invest in gas fields, now [...]
Tullow down after £1bn share placing January 27, 2010 TULLOW oil shares plunged yesterday after the company raised £1bn to fund expansion in Uganda where it hopes to gain government support for a major acquisition. Shares fell as much as 5.6 per cent after the London-based oil explorer launched the placing. The firm – which has more licences in Africa than any other UK [...]
BP’s fall takes fuel out of oil stocks but FTSE rises higher February 2, 2010 Britain’s top shares closed higher for the third straight session yesterday as miners and banks extended the previous day’s gains but BP dragged energy stocks lower with fourth-quarter results that missed expectations. The FTSE 100 was up 35.90 points, or 0.7 per cent at 5,283.31, after closing 1.1 per cent higher on Monday. Miners added [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 3, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES AXA PUTS SPOTLESS UP FOR SALE Spotless, the French maker of laundry and cleaning products, could become the latest “pass-the-parcel” deal between private equity groups, after Axa Private Equity put it up for sale with a €600m-€700m price tag. A recent recovery in debt markets has encouraged private equity groups to become more [...]
Energy firms warn that smart meters will cost them billions December 2, 2009 ENERGY companies will have to fit smart meters that provide real-time information to consumers about energy usage in all UK homes by the end of 2020, the government said yesterday. The plans have caused controversy, with firms saying they may need government cash to help them meet the estimated £6bn-£12bn cost of fitting the technology [...]
Sell-off in bank and mining shares rocks the FTSE 100 January 13, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index shed 0.5 per cent yesterday as weakness in commodity and banking issues countered gains in selected defensive stocks, reflecting fading risk appetite among some investors. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 25.23 points lower at 5,473.48, having lost 0.7 per cent on Tuesday following China’s decision to tighten banks’ reserve [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 3, 2009 AvivaAviva, the insurance group, announced yesterday that Mary Francis CBE had been appointed as a member of the board’s nomination committee, and took the role on with effect from 2 December this year. Francis is also a senior independent director of Centrica, and a non-executive director at Cable & Wireless. She formerly held senior positions [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 24, 2010 THE SUNDAYS The Sunday Telegraph TCHENGUIZ BROTHERS IN £2BN BANK CLAIMS Companies linked to Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz, the property entrepreneurs, have filed creditors’ claims totalling £2.26bn against Kaupthing, despite being among the failed Icelandic bank’s biggest borrowers. It emerged last summer that Robert Tchenguiz had borrowed €1.7bn (£1.5bn) from the bank and Vincent Tchenguiz [...]
Heritage deal key to Tullow January 17, 2010 TULLOW Oil’s decision to pre-empt the sale of Heritage Oil’s Ugandan oil deposit assets to Italian oil group Eni is a brave one, and one that will secure the firm’s position among the giants of the oil world, having grown up from its humble beginnings a quarter of a century ago. Under the terms of [...]