Volunteering is good for business April 14, 2010 The City of London Corporation will today urge businesses to remain active in local London communities despite the potential cost in the middle of the longest and deepest recession since the war. According to Nick Anstee, the Lord Mayor of London, corporate volunteering can boost a firm’s reputation while helping to create a highly-skilled, well [...]
UK infrastructure needs £500bn April 14, 2010 At least £500bn will need to be spent on the UK’s energy, transport, water and ICT infrastructure between now and 2020 in order that the UK can maintain its economic competitiveness, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD). The body says public spending on infrastructure is now so important that it should be ring-fenced, despite [...]
JP Morgan sees profits rise April 14, 2010 JPMorgan Chase has reported first quarter profits of $3.3bn (£2.1bn). Revenues from its investment bank overshadowed losses on consumer loans. Shares of the second-largest US bank rose 2.4 per cent as it said the pace of loan losses slowed. The main area which fuelled the bank’s figures was its debt trading business, which produced revenues [...]
Euro zone industrial output jumps April 14, 2010 INDUSTRIAL output rose more sharply than expected in February – posting its fastest rise in almost two years. Production across the 16-country currency organisation increased by 0.9 per cent from January, according to European official data office Eurostat. The figure jumped 4.1 percent year-on-year – the biggest increase since April 2008. The euro zone economy [...]
Prudential makes Devey Asia chief April 14, 2010 PRUDENTIAL has as appointed Rob Devey to lead the integration with American International Group’s Asian life insurance arm. The company is on verge of securing a deal for American International Assurance (AIA) for $35.5 billion. But it still needs to complete a $21bn rights issue to fund the bid. Devey, currently Prudential’s head of European [...]
Toyota suspends US Lexus SUV sales April 14, 2010 TOYOTA has suspended sales of a new Lexus SUV in the US market to investigate the risks of the vehicles rolling. The company has stopped sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after consumer reports suggested that the vehicles handled badly on some turns with possible “safety risks” attached. Toyota, which also sells the Lexus [...]
JD Sports profits surge and dividend raised April 14, 2010 RETAILER JD Sports Fashion has reported a 26 per cent rise in annual profits and hiked its dividend. Pre-tax profits before exceptional items surged to £67.4m in the year to 30 January – up from £53.6m last year. Like-for-like sales were up two per cent in the ten weeks to April 10. The company said [...]
Tory manifesto wins round City April 13, 2010 BUSINESS gave a cautious thumbs up to the Tory manifesto yesterday, but economists criticised the party for failing to explain how it will repair the battered public finances. David Cameron, who unveiled the manifesto at a glitzy launch in Battersea power station, said he was issuing “the biggest call to arms the country has seen [...]
Heron chief warns of talent drain April 13, 2010 GERALD Ronson, the property tycoon responsible for building Heron Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the City, yesterday warned that politicians risk hounding entrepreneurs away from the UK with punishing tax hikes for the wealthy. “My advice, to whoever wins the next election, is to be careful not to put too much pressure on the people [...]
EU commits to bank levy April 13, 2010 THE European Union has told G20 members it is ready to crack down on the financial sector by committing to a global bank levy. In a draft letter revealed yesterday EU officials wrote: “We are ready to cooperate with G20 members on globally coordinated principles for a levy on the financial sector.” The move comes [...]