Cameron to announce West’s first Islamic government bond October 28, 2013 THE PRIME Minister will today announce that he wants Britain to be the first country outside the Islamic world to issue a sovereign sukuk – an Islamic bond-like instrument. In his speech at the World Islamic Economic Forum today, David Cameron will say that the Treasury is working on the practicalities of issuing a sukuk [...]
Forum leader rings London Stock Exchange opening bell October 28, 2013 World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation chairman Tun Musa Hitam opened yesterday’s trading session at the London Stock Exchange alongside Alexander Justham,chief executive of London Stock Exchange Plc. “We have arrived,” Musa Hitam said after the event. He hailed the opening as a mark of the importance of Islamic finance to the capital. “There is no [...]
Deals worth billions to be struck this year October 28, 2013 An estimated £5.8bn worth of deals were struck at the eighth World Islamic Economic Forum, held last year in Malaysia. The biggest involved Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, who agreed to build a motorsports hub in Iskandar, Malaysia, for $1.4bn (£870m). And with a record number of delegates set to attend this year’s event – around [...]
WIEF 2013 today October 28, 2013 Opening Session ■ 9am to 12.45pm. ■ Qu’ran Recitation and welcoming remarks by WIEF chair Tun Musa Hitam and Islamic Development Bank president Ahmad Mohamed Ali. ■ Opening address by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak. Business Networking Lunch ■ 12.45pm to 2pm, Capital Hall. Ministerial Panel: Policy Framework for Growth [...]
WIEF Diary October 28, 2013 Olympic Village Tour The London 2012 Olympic Village has taken on new life as a showcase for Qatari investment in the UK. In alliance with real estate investment company Delancey, Qatari Diar – Qatar Investment Authority’s property investment company – bought the site in 2011 for £557m, with a promise to build 2,818 new homes [...]
UK holds fund management position September 30, 2013 The UK has managed to fend off a challenge by Japan to stay the second largest fund management centre in the world behind the US, a report out yesterday revealed. Japan remains third with a 7.5 per cent market share. The UK is second with 8.3 per cent, while the US dominates with 45 per [...]
Parcels deliver Royal Mail’s future September 24, 2013 THE PRIVATISATION of Royal Mail started to become a likely event in May this year after the restructured group posted profits of £403m, up from £152m the previous year. “When we saw that profit margins had gone from around one per cent to 4.4 per cent we realised that the time was right to act,” [...]
Inside Track: London is ready and waiting for the Royal Mail flotation September 24, 2013 THE FORTHCOMING privatisation of Royal Mail is the biggest post-financial crisis test so far of the market for new issues in London, which was virtually closed for business just a couple of years ago. In the years following the financial crisis, London became a notoriously difficult place on which to list shares in a new [...]
Dividends will be key for Royal Mail September 24, 2013 Private investors can choose from a wide variety of stockbrokers if they fancy investing in Royal Mail shares IN THE biggest privatisation since the 1980s, the government plans to sell a majority stake in Royal Mail. Analysts are divided over the attractiveness of the stock – with key details such as share price yet to [...]
The Royal Mail should present a fair valuation for investors September 24, 2013 BUSINESS minister Michael Fallon has certainly added some missing “zip” in promoting UK industry and commerce. Despite union opposition, his infectious enthusiasm, together with Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene’s visionary management, has given the scheduled floatation of Royal Mail in October every chance of success. Governments are notoriously bad managers of commercial enterprises, so [...]