RBS steps up the search for a new chairman August 29, 2014 Royal Bank of Scotland has reportedly stepped up its search for a successor to chairman Sir Philip Hampton, hiring recruitment giant Egon Zehnder International to lead the hunt. Hampton will step down in 2015 after more than six years at the top of the bank, which is still 81 per cent owned by the government, [...]
PPI claims to be reassessed by banks: 2.5 million cases may not have been handled fairly August 29, 2014 PPI has reared its ugly head again as the financial conduct authority ordered more than 2.5 million claims to be re-examined to ensure compensation was "fairly made". The financial regulator said banks, credit card providers and personal loan companies have agreed to reassess complaints about mis-sold payment protection insurance made in 2012 and 2013. An [...]
Average bonuses rise 4.9 per cent as bank and insurance bonuses hit their highest since 2008 August 29, 2014 Bonus payments in the UK rose to £40.5bn in the year to April, up almost five per cent on a year ago. In the finance and insurance sector, payments hit £15bn – their highest level since the peak of the financial crisis, in 2008. Changes to taxes in the 2012/13 financial year meant many businesses [...]
West African ministers call for an end to Ebola travel bans August 29, 2014 Ministers in West Africa have called for Ebola-related travel bans in the region to be lifted. At a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States in Ghana, they said the bans, imposed to limit the spread of the Ebola virus, were causing food and supply shortages. "Excessive restrictions of travel and [...]
Tesco share price: What the analysts are saying August 29, 2014 Tesco's profit warning – its second in just over a month – came out of the blue this morning, but its sentiment has been known for a while. The supermarket's struggles are well documented, from loss of market share against Lidl and Aldi, and growth at a 10-year low. Here's how analysts have responded to Tesco's [...]
Eurozone inflation falls to five-year low as unemployment stays flat at 11.5 per cent August 29, 2014 Consumer price inflation in the eurozone dropped to 0.3 per cent in August, its lowest level since October 2009, as unemployment remained stubbornly flat at 11.5 per cent, official figures published this morning showed. Although the figures were underwhelming, they met analyst expectations. The drop in inflation was largely driven by energy prices, which fell [...]
Bardarbunga volcano ash cloud is “unlikely” to affect UK for next few days – UK air traffic control August 29, 2014 As the aviation alert rises to red over the risk of an ash cloud from Icelandic volcano Bardarbunga, the UK’s air traffic control has issued an update on its potential effect on air travel over Britain. The short explanation: the current weather means even if ash started spewing from the volcano, it's unlikely to affect us [...]
After Carswell’s defection, here are six Tory MPs who might jump ship to Ukip August 29, 2014 Yesterday's shock news that senior backbencher and well respected Tory MP Douglas Carswell was defecting to Ukip caught many of the political elite on the back foot. At a press conference held by Ukip, Carswell said he had "had more sleepless nights than you can possibly imagine. "I happen to like David Cameron… [...]
Japan’s economy stalls in July as spending falls August 29, 2014 Have Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "three arrows" have missed their target? Japan's economy stagnated in July, as household spending dropped and wages fell. According to official data released this morning, inflation remained unchanged compared to June, while the consumer price index rose by 3.3 per cent. The increase was largely the result [...]
Malaysia Airlines to slash 6,000 jobs August 29, 2014 Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the state-owned Malaysian investor buying out embattled carrier Malaysia Airlines, has announced plans to cut 6,000 staff at the airline – about a third of its 20,000-strong workforce – as part of a radical restructuring. Shares in Malaysia Airlines were suspended from trading on the Malaysian stock exchange before the announcement. Khazanah [...]