Focus Solutions’ positive outlook November 4, 2009 Focus Solutions, the group which specialises in pensions back office software, said yesterday it was confident of achieving both revenue and profit expectations for the full year, although half year revenues would be down on the same period last year because of the timing of securing key contracts. The group added it would report a [...]
WSP sees challenging markets November 4, 2009 WSP Group, the building and environmental consultancy, said trading since 1 July continued to be in line with its expectations. The group, which offers management, planning and environmental advice, however, said market conditions remained very challenging with difficult trading conditions in most markets in the private sector. “We are continuing to see a solid performance [...]
Homes for 1m have slumped November 4, 2009 The number of homes priced at more than £1m has fallen by a third during the past two years, research showed yesterday. About one in every 97 properties in the UK was worth at least seven figures before the housing market slump kicked off, but the figure has now fallen to around one in every [...]
SocGen posts near doubling of earnings November 4, 2009 FRENCH bank Societe Generale (SocGen) has more than doubled its profits thanks to a good investment banking performance, although the numbers failed to hit market hopes, sparking takeover talk. SocGen posted a 133 per cent rise in net profit to €426m (£381m) from €183m a year earlier, mainly due to the fact that the bank’s [...]
Northern Rock unveils surge in mortgage loans November 4, 2009 NORTHERN Rock saw improved trading in the third quarter, with encouraging trends on bad loans, and forecast a “significant improvement” in the second half of the year. But the state-owned lender, which is being split into two in readiness for a sale, warned that conditions in the mortgage and housing markets remained subdued. “House price [...]
City discrimination claims surge as recession bites November 4, 2009 SEX and the City. Why is it that the phrase slips so easily off the tongue? Long before Candace Bushnell wrote her tales of single women in New York, the words were a regular feature in newspapers, frequently entwined like so many bonking bankers. As Aviva boss Andrew Moss tries hard to shift the focus [...]
Adidas looks to 2010 for a sales upturn November 4, 2009 SEX and the City. Why is it that the phrase slips so easily off the tongue? Long before Candace Bushnell wrote her tales of single women in New York, the words were a regular feature in newspapers, frequently entwined like so many bonking bankers. As Aviva boss Andrew Moss tries hard to shift the focus [...]
JP Morgan Securities settles with the SEC over Jefferson County charges November 4, 2009 JP Morgan Securities has agreed to pay $75m (£45m) to settle charges in an unlawful payment scheme in the sewer financing of Jefferson County, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said yesterday. The agency said JP Morgan Securities will pay a penalty of $25m and pay the Alabama county, which includes the city of Birmingham, [...]
Marsh tops all analyst profit hopes November 4, 2009 MARSH & McLennan (MMC), the second-largest global insurance broker by assets, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit as significantly lower expenses offset a decline in revenues. Third-quarter net income was $221m, (£133.3m) or 41 cents a share. That compares with a net loss of $8m, or two cents a share, a year earlier, when results were [...]
LULA LINKS WITH LONDON November 4, 2009 BRAZILIAN president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in London yesterday for a two-day investment aimed at attracting investment in the South American country. While here, he will have an audience with the Queen, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and receive an award from think-tank Chatham House for “the most significant contribution to the improvement of [...]