Peer-to-peer lender reaches £100m in arranged loans and expects to grow September 30, 2010 ONLINE peer-to-peer lender Zopa has smashed past the £100m arranged loans mark as demand for alternative banking surges. The bank says the success of its model, where individual lenders and borrowers agree their own terms, is partly a reflection of low interest rates. Chief executive Giles Andrews told City A.M. he expects the firm to [...]
SUPERFAST BROADBAND HITS THE BEACH September 30, 2010 BT chief executive Ian Livingston (right) yesterday launched a major fibre broadband network in Cornwall as part of the firm’s goal of providing superfast internet to 66 per cent of the UK by 2015. BT worked with the local authority and Brussels to fund the roll out to some of the more remote parts of [...]
3i trebles buyouts after restructure September 30, 2010 PRIVATE equity firm 3i Group trebled its buyout investments in the five months to August after a recent shake-up at the firm saw its head of buyouts resign, it said yesterday. Investment in buyouts increased to £236m from £86m in 2009, with overall investments up more than 65 per cent to £257m, 3i said. Realisations [...]
Stone will advise new SME bank on hunt for investors September 30, 2010 A NEW business bank specialising in lending to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is launching an international fundraising which aims to raise £100m in start-up funds. Most of the bank’s management team are currently under contract elsewhere in the City but have already opened discussions with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to acquire a [...]
AIG reaches deal with government on plans to pay back US taxpayers September 30, 2010 AMERICAN International Group (AIG) laid out a plan yesterday that sets the company on a path for an accelerated payback of taxpayer bailout money, but also increases the risk for the government. The plan, which comes a little over two years after AIG was rescued from the brink of collapse, will see the Federal Reserve [...]
Canada, France probe HSBC’s Swiss accounts September 30, 2010 FRENCH investigators are probing some 1,500 Canadian-registered Swiss bank accounts at HSBC as part of a crackdown on unreported wealth, the head of Canada’s revenue agency said yesterday. Authorities are looking into accounts obtained from a former HSBC worker who allegedly stole the records from the bank and handed them over to investigators. Canadian tax [...]
CHEESE BUSINESS BOOSTS DAIRY CREST September 30, 2010 DAIRY CREST, the food business which makes Clover and Cathedral City, said in a trading update its sales over the last six months were in line with expectations and ahead of the same period last year. The firm, led by chief executive Mark Allen (inset), said its cheese products had led the growth in the [...]
Cenkos denies Panmure bid as profit falls September 30, 2010 CENKOS Securities has no interest in the sector’s prime bid target, Panmure Gordon, although Cenkos’ chief executive said his company could benefit from any disruption at Panmure. “I’m more interested in acquiring teams and individuals,” Cenkos chief executive Simon Melling said, as the company reported lower first-half profits yesterday. Britain’s mid-tier stockbroking sector has recently [...]
Tate & Lyle is sweet on 2010 September 30, 2010 SWEETENER and starches maker Tate & Lyle said it expects annual profit to rise, after building on an encouraging start to the year over the summer. Chief executive Javed Ahmed said he expects “progress” in full-year pre-tax and operating profits, driven by growth in the speciality sweeteners and starches business including its sucralose sweetener Splenda. [...]
Premium cake market slump hits Finsbury sales September 30, 2010 BAKER Finsbury Food Group saw sales fall for the first time in its history as the recession took its toll on the premium cake market. Group revenue for the 52 weeks to 3 July 2010 was £168.3m, down 5.9 per cent year-on-year, although the company did manage to increase profits before tax by seven per [...]