For once Darling has had a good idea July 6, 2009 A LIVING will sounds like an oxymoron – dead wills are not exactly two a penny – but it merely refers to a set of instructions, known to all during the deceased’s lifetime, for dealing with his assets once he passes away. In the same vein, one proposal to be included in tomorrow’s White Paper [...]
Fink warns of hedgie war July 6, 2009 HEDGE fund guru and former Man Group boss Stanley Fink warned yesterday that European Commission (EC) plans on regulation of the alternative investment industry could spark a war with US hedge funds. Fink, who is chief executive of the ISAM hedge fund, said the EC’s draft directive would meet with a backlash from non-EU funds [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 6, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES SUN VALLEY SET TO CONSIDER PAID CONTENTA debate over paid content that has riven the newspaper business and spread across the rest of the media sector is expected to frame discussions at the annual confab of media and technology power brokers and entrepreneurs in Sun Valley this week. The US recession has forced [...]
Qataris tighten grip on Barclays July 6, 2009 Qatari investors have upped their stakes in Barclays with the conversion of mandatory convertible notes into common stock, booking paper profits of around £700m. The Qatari Investment Authority now has 7.38 per cent of the bank, while Challenger, which acts for Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani of Qatar Holding, has 2.84 per cent. [...]
Fiat to enter Chinese car market July 6, 2009 Italian carmaker Fiat is to enter the rapidly growing Chinese automotive industry which will see it make cars and engines there from 2011, in a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC). The deal will see the two firms invest more than €400m (£344m) in the project, including the construction of a 700,000 square metre [...]
New GM may be launched by end of July July 6, 2009 A SENIOR figure in President Obama’s automotive task force said last night that GM could be relaunched as a new company by the end of the month. Steve Rattner said a judge’s ruling that GM can sell its assets to a government-backed company would clear the way for the firm to emerge from bankruptcy and [...]
MG Rover quartet slam call for probe July 6, 2009 A QUARTET of executives accused of asset-stripping in relation to their purchase of collapsed carmaker MG Rover yesterday described moves towards a probe by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as “mystifying”. Business secretary Lord Mandelson has asked the SFO to decide whether a criminal investigation should be launched into the 2005 collapse of MG Rover, [...]
Nomura eyes top broker spot July 6, 2009 Japan’s Nomura is planning a swift return to the top spot among LSE brokerages for the European equities unit it bought from Lehman Brothers, the former leader on the exchange. The unit is currently sitting in third place behind Credit Suisse and top-ranked Merrill Lynch, acting on 6.3 per cent of all orders sent to [...]
Taxpayer bill for Rock to rise July 6, 2009 The Treasury’s bill for Northern Rock’s losses looks set to increase, after one of the mortgage lender’s subsidiaries breached a contract, putting other creditors ahead of the taxpayer for repayment. Granite, a unit which securitised Northern Rock mortgages, will be forced to speed up the return of £26bn of debts to noteholders. Rock will be [...]
Cinven drafts in Langmuir July 6, 2009 Private equity house Cinven has appointed Hugh Langmuir as managing partner, after Robin Hall became executive chairman. Langmuir’s appointment comes as the group prepares to raise a new fund, amid signs that some of its investments are struggling. Hall’s decision to move upstairs mirrors recent reshuffles seen at rivals such as Permira, BC Partners and [...]