St James’s Place sees profits outstrip forecasts February 24, 2010 WEALTH manager St James’s Place posted full-year operating profits at the top end of market forecasts. The firm – which is 60 per cent owned by Lloyds Banking Group – combines life assurance with investment services. It said operating profit on an embedded value basis was at £228.9m in 2009, up from £204.3m a year [...]
Northern Rock to scrap savers’ 100 per cent guarantee February 24, 2010 THE Government is to withdraw its 100 per cent guarantee to Northern Rock savers. In three months time the guarantee – introduced to save the stricken lender – will be scrapped. However, savers will still benefit from the £50,000 guarantee to all savers under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Financial Services Secretary Paul Myners [...]
Barratt in housing market boost February 24, 2010 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments saw its losses narrow in the second half of the year as the housing market showed further signs of finding its feet. Pre-tax losses came in at £178.4m compared to a loss of £594.5m a year earlier. However, it took a £129.9m hit from finance costs following its £720m placing and rights [...]
Travis Perkins profit dips after “worst year ever” February 24, 2010 BUILDERS’ merchant Travis Perkins has posted a drop in profits of 11 per cent and issued a warning of the “fragile” state of trading. Pre-tax profits for 2009 were £180m, down from £202.5m in the previous year, as revenue dropped 8 per cent to £2.9bn. The firm, which owns the Wickes chain, dubbed trading conditions [...]
KINGMAKER CLEGG: BAN BANK BONUSES February 23, 2010 SENIOR bankers should no longer be paid bonuses, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said yesterday. Clegg, who will play the role of kingmaker after the election if polls pointing to a hung parliament are correct, said the ban should apply to all variable pay – including deferred stock. It would cover executive board members and [...]
Fresh fears over global recovery February 23, 2010 FEARS of a double-dip global recession intensified yesterday after a slew of depressing economic news highlighted the fragility of the world economy. Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned that Britain might have to resort to further quantitative easing (QE) if the UK economy deteriorates further. He highlighted the stalled recovery in the Eurozone – [...]
Your chance to let politicians know what you really think February 23, 2010 THE City is the engine room of the British economy, but you wouldn’t know it from the policies of the main political parties. Few politicians are interested in reflecting or listening to the concerns of the hundreds of thousands of people who work in London’s business and financial sectors. With an election just weeks away, [...]
From easy money to $1m comic books February 23, 2010 Q. What do quantitative easing and super-hero comic books have in common? A. Quite a lot. Cheap money from central bank asset purchases and ultra-low interest rates is helping to reinflate bubbles in parts of the global economy. UK house prices are soaring irrationally again, for instance. But my favourite anecdote comes from ComicConnect.com, a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 23, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES USAF STARTS BID TO REPLACE AGEING TANKERS The US Air Force will attempt to kick-start its long-delayed, multi-billion dollar competition to replace its ageing fleet of refuelling tankers this week with a new set of bidding rules. It promises the competition, mired in controversy for more than six years, will be “full and [...]
Bonuses for US bankers soar to $20bn in 2009 February 23, 2010 US banks paid out a total of $20.3bn (£13.1bn) in bonuses for 2009, up 17 per cent from a year earlier, according to figures released yesterday from New York’s tax department. The pool could top $55bn, nearly triple the previous record year, as markets recovered from their worst downturn in decades. According to comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, [...]