Wealth managers must restore trust post-Madoff September 23, 2009 THE world’s wealthy have been shaken by the global financial meltdown, not to mention Madoff and other scandals. Yet, according to research from wealth managers Scorpio Partnership and Standard Chartered Private Bank, confidence levels among the rich remain high with 72 per cent of wealthy UK individuals expecting their fortunes to increase next year. The [...]
Court battle for Deutsche in New York September 23, 2009 DEUTSCHE Bank and a banking unit of Saudi Arabia’s Algosaibi family battled in court yesterday over whether to throw out a $74.2m (£45.3m) claim by the German bank, part of a flurry of lawsuits involving billions of dollars and allegations of fraud. New York State Supreme Court Justice Bernard Fried said he expects to rule [...]
Game Group profits tumble as new releases fail to impress consumers September 23, 2009 VIDEO games retailer Game Group yesterday posted a 60 per cent slump in first-half profit and said sales were continuing to fall. The group said profits had crashed to £10.8m in the six months to 31 July, from £32.5m in the same period last year. The company had told shareholders to expect profits between £13m [...]
Topps Tiles says green shoots are in sight as sales show signs of stabilising September 23, 2009 TILE and wood flooring retailer Topps Tiles yesterday said its markets were stabilising with sales falling at a slower pace in its second half, adding to hopes the recession may be ending. Topps Tiles – which is seen as a bellwether for DIYspending – said it expected sales at stores open more than a year to [...]
Receiver to sell Stanford yacht September 23, 2009 The receiver in charge of Allen Stanford’s assets has asked a federal judge for permission to sell the alleged swindler’s luxurious 112-foot yacht, the Sea Eagle. Ralph Janvey, the receiver in the case, filed a motion asking US district judge David Godbey in Dallas to approve the sale of the vessel, currently listed as being [...]
Insolvency ends after 35 years September 23, 2009 One of Britain’s longest-running insolvency cases, dating back to 1974, has ended according to liquidators UHY Hacker Young, appointed to wind down travel agency Apal after the failure of its chief lender Israel-British bank. Each creditor received 74p for every £1 lost.
Brown axes Trident nuclear sub September 23, 2009 Gordon Brown is to cut the UK’s fleet of Trident nuclear missile submarines from four to three. The Prime Minister will inform the UN Security Council of his plans during a meeting on how to prevent nuclear proliferation. The cut is intended to help the government reduce the budget deficit, but Downing Street said yesterday [...]
D-DAY FOR RATINGS AGENCIES September 23, 2009 RATING agency Moody’s will enter the firing line today, when one of its former executives tells a congressional hearing that the company was giving inflated ratings to securities as early as this year. Eric Kolchinsky will also tell the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that Moody’s puts revenues from its clients before the [...]
Fed sounds upbeat on economy September 23, 2009 US CENTRAL bank the Federal Reserve yesterday left interest rates unchanged, as it issued a statement boosting hopes that the world’s biggest economy is emerging from recession. The Fed said it is to keep rates ultra-low for some time to support the post-slump recovery. Short-term interest rates were kept at an all-time low of 0 [...]
Ernst &Young in Akai payout September 23, 2009 ERNST & Young (E&Y) was forced to make a “substantial” payout to the liquidator of failed consumer electronics firm Akai Holdings yesterday, after being accused of falsifying documents in a long running court battle. The Big Four accountancy firm has made a settlement to Hong Kong liquidator Borrelli Walsh after it admitted documents it used [...]