Schroders boss Michael Dobson reported to be preparing to stand down March 1, 2016 Michael Dobson, chief executive of asset manager Schroders, is to announce he is stepping down tomorrow, according to reports. Dobson has led the company for over 14 years. He previously worked for Deutsche Bank, among other City firms. He will reveal his intended departure when the company reports its annual results tomorrow, the Financial Times [...]
Zynga share price up as Farmville developer appoints Frank Gibeau as new chief executive as current chief executive and founder Mark Pincus becomes executive chairman March 1, 2016 Shares in Zynga jumped in after-hours trading when the social gaming company revealed it was appointing a new chief executive as its founder becomes executive chairman. Frank Gibeau, who has been on Zynga's board since last August and is currently a director of data visualisation company Graphiq, will take up his role as chief executive on 7 March. Gibeau [...]
Qualcomm share price up as electronics company fined $7.5m by US authorities for allegedly hiring relatives of Chinese officials to gain business March 1, 2016 Qualcomm has agreed to pay a penalty of $7.5m (£5.4m) to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today to settle charges for hiring relatives of Chinese government officials to influence them to pick the company above its competitors. According to the SEC, Qualcomm offered both full-time jobs and paid internships to officials' family members, flagging the candidates [...]
London Stock Exchange share price soars to record high on news of possible bid from NYSE-owner ICE to rival Deutsche Boerse March 1, 2016 Shares in the London Stock Exchange Group soared to a record high yesterday, after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) confirmed it is considering bidding for the London-based exchange. ICE’s intervention came less than one week after LSE revealed it was in merger talks with the Frankfurt-based exchange Deutsche Boerse – [...]
Kate Spade share price rises after fashion company reports strong sales for final quarter of year ended 2 January 2016 and announces expansion into India March 1, 2016 Share price in Kate Spade rose today after the company reported strong sales for its final quarter of its financial year, although its net income fell. The fashion company, which is particularly well-known for its handbag designs, reported net sales for the 52 weeks ending 2 January 2016 of $1.2bn (£860m), up 9.1 per cent [...]
High street banks plan to help Treasury offload £17bn of Bradford and Bingley loans March 1, 2016 Britain’s largest high street banks are planning to help the Treasury offload £17bn of Bradford and Bingley (B&B) loans. The proposal would see Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide and Santander guarantee around £17bn of financing to the purchasers of the loans. It emerged at the beginning of this year that a sizeable part [...]
Moneysupermarket.com share price rises as price comparison company reveals boost in profits and revenues for year ended December 2015 March 1, 2016 Share price in Moneysupermarket.com closed up today after the company revealed a boost to both its profits and revenues in its preliminary results. The price comparison website announced adjusted operating profits for its year ended December 2015 of £100.1m, up 15 per cent from £87.3m the year before. Meanwhile, group revenue grew to £281.7m, up 14 per cent [...]
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) share price rises as company reveals a fall in profits but a rise in revenues for its year ended December 2015 March 1, 2016 Share price in Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) closed up today despite the company revealing a fall in profits in its preliminary results. The company, which provides insurance, employee benefits and brokerage services, reported profits before tax of £155m for its year ended December 2015, a decrease of three per cent from £159.7m the year before, as planned [...]
US car sales surge for Ford and Fiat Chrysler, as General Motors slumps March 1, 2016 Automobile sales have continued to surge in the US, with Ford the latest company to reveal stand out numbers that have blown analyst expectations out of the water. Ford’s total sales in February grew by 20 per cent compared to a year ago, with some 217,000 vehicles sold. Retail sales grew 11 per cent, making [...]
Barclays share price drops and Ashtead Group falls but FTSE 100 index rises as London Stock Exchange and Direct Line jump March 1, 2016 After a frankly uneventful day yesterday, the FTSE 100 index bounced higher today despite the latest PMI data showed China's manufacturing sector shrinking. The UK's blue-chip index rose 0.92 per cent to 6,152 points, as investors contemplated a corporate results onslaught. Good news was to be found with the London Stock Exchange Group, which jumped 7.17 per cent [...]