Prudential causes a stir with surprise AIA appointment April 14, 2010 PRUDENTIAL surprised analysts by appointing its UK chief executive to lead the integration of AIA in Asia yesterday, raising questions over the future of its UK operations. Rob Devey, who joined Pru last year, will oversee the assimilation of AIG’s Far Eastern unit after the British insurer’s $35.5bn (£23bn) takeover goes through in the autumn. [...]
AIG aircraft unit to shed planes April 14, 2010 The aircraft leasing unit of bailed-out insurer American International Group (AIG) has agreed to sell 53 passenger jets to Australia’s Macquarie Group to raise a much-needed $2bn (£1.29bn) in cash. International Lease Finance (ILFC), a top customer of Boeing and Airbus, said yesterday it was selling the aircraft, mostly 737s and A320s, for below their [...]
Lehman documents made public April 14, 2010 Undisclosed documents used to contribute to the 2,200-page report on the crash of Lehman Brothers were yesterday made public by US bankruptcy judge James Peck. The report by Anton Valukas, the court appointed examiner, showed that Goldman Sachs, Barclays and DRW Trading of Chicago took over the US futures and options trades of Lehman Brothers [...]
Banks look on as JPMorgan sets the pace April 14, 2010 WALL Street bellwether JPMorgan Chase raced past expectations with a 57 per cent rise in profits yesterday, fuelling hopes that recovery in the US financial sector is entering full swing. The first American bank to report in 2010, JPMorgan said first quarter net income jumped to $3.3bn (£2.1bn), or 74 cents per share, from $2.1bn, [...]
JPMorgan April 14, 2010 JAMIE Dimon’s assertion earlier this month in a 37-page letter to shareholders that JPMorgan weathered the crisis better than most rivals and should not be tarred with the same brush as more troubled institutions, was yesterday proved true. The bank’s first quarter results showing a 57 per cent jump in profit to $3.3bn (£2.1bn), or [...]
Morgan Stanley property fund may lose £3.4bn April 14, 2010 MORGAN Stanley has told investors that its $8.8bn (£5.6bn) real estate fund may lose nearly two-thirds of its money due to bad investments, it is understood. It is thought that the $5.4bn loss would be the biggest in the history of private equity real estate investing. But by mid-2009, the firm had already written down [...]
City backs plans to cut non-EU migrants April 14, 2010 THE TORIES are right to propose a new annual limit on the number of skilled workers admitted into the UK from outside of the EU, according to our panel of City workers, despite concerns the policy could stop firms from tapping global talent. The City A.M. / PHI Panel has been specially recruited in conjunction [...]
Sorrell: WPP will return to UK under the Tories April 14, 2010 ADVERTISING mogul Sir Martin Sorrell dealt a blow to Labour yesterday by claiming he would relocate WPP, the world’s largest advertising firm by revenue, back to London if the Tories are elected. The firm shifted its tax base to Ireland over 18 months ago in protest at what it estimated as tens of millions of [...]
Lib Dem plans fail to impress businesses April 14, 2010 BUSINESS rounded on the Liberal Democrat manifesto yesterday, although economists praised the party for providing more detail on tax and spending than either of the two main parties. John Cridland, the deputy director-general of the CBI, said it was vital that all parties “established a clear and robust plan to rebuild the public finances” and [...]
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO | AT A GLANCE April 14, 2010 Economy • Save up to £15bn in government spending per year. A third will be set aside for additional spending commitments, but £10bn each year, after 2011/12, will go towards paying off the deficit, set to be £163bn this financial year. • A cap on public sector pay rises, restricting tax credits, ending government payments [...]