Financial services in recruiting drive July 12, 2009 RECRUITMENT in the financial services is showing signs of recovery after a long slump, with stockbrokers leading the way, according to a report by candidate screening company Powerchex. Stockbrokerages increased recruitment by 77 per cent between the first and second quarters of this year, and by a massive 317 per cent between the months of [...]
Calls for Lloyd’s of London to widen brokers’ access July 12, 2009 STUART Reid, boss of insurance broking giant Bluefin, has urged Lloyd’s of London to widen access for brokers to its insurance marketplace as part of its strategic review. Reid has said enabling all brokerages to do business with Lloyd’s syndicates, rather than a select group, would allow consumers and businesses around the world to get [...]
Virgin Media launches new HD channels July 12, 2009 Virgin Media will today announce the launch of four new high definition (HD) channels which will soon be available on its TV platform, including the HD debut of Living. The broadband and digital TV provider also named FX, MTV Networks International and National Geographic as the channels its 3.6m customers will be able to receive [...]
Canary Wharf versus the City row is reignited July 12, 2009 THE departure of Japanese bank Nomura from Canary Wharf to the City has reignited the row between the two hubs over where the true heart of the financial sector lies. Nomura is quitting the Isle of Dogs for the new new 525,000 sq ft riverside City complex Watermark Place. But Canary Wharf achieved a coup [...]
CITY VIEWS: DO YOU PREFER WORKING IN CANARY WHARF TO THE CITY ITSELF? July 12, 2009 SUNETH SILVA MORGAN STANLEY“I used to work in the City, and I like both. The City is popular for its culture, history and convenience, while others prefer Canary Wharf for its smart new buildings and facilities. As far as business contacts go, it can be inconvenient to go back to the City for meetings, but [...]
Inflation set to continue coming down July 12, 2009 THIS week’s inflation figures – out tomorrow morning – are widely expected to show a continuation of the recent downward trend with a consensus forecast of a 1.8 per cent rise in prices year-on-year. Inflation – as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI) – is expected by both analysts and the Bank of England [...]
Stuttering sales growth signals corporate woes July 12, 2009 IT SHOULD come as no surprise that stocks have sold off into the second quarter reporting season. After all, when it comes to markets it’s often better to travel than arrive. While markets were rallying from March lows, many analysts were lowering expectations for corporate profitability. The sad truth was though, at that stage, most [...]
Hedgie Degorce calls up old friends to set up a fund at Lansdowne’s offices July 12, 2009 PATRICK Degorce, a former fund manager at US banking giant Merrill Lynch, is launching a new fund based in the Mayfair offices of hedge fund powerhouse Lansdowne Partners. Degorce, 40, is being allowed to set up shop with a small team at the firm after contacting Stuart Roden and Peter Davies, former colleagues of his [...]
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR INFLATION? July 12, 2009 HOWARD ARCHER IHS GLOBAL INSIGHTInflation data for June should show a continuation of the recent downward trend. Some utility prices have been also been trimmed recently, while the upward pressure from food prices continued to ease in June.DAVID PAGE INVESTECRPI inflation data looks likely to fall deeper into negative territory – we expect -1.5 per cent. [...]
Leaders threaten green shoots July 12, 2009 Reform of the global financial system has become bogged down as fears subside over its potential collapse, however policymakers relaxing now threatens recovery, a leading European Central Bank (ECB) official said. ECB executive board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo said some European Union countries could see a return to growth from mid-2010. “We should not distract [...]