Mezzanine funds in vogue during debt drought June 2, 2010 MIDDLE-market companies are facing a refinancing gap unprecedented in modern times as they struggle to raise much-needed capital for expansion. With banks currently unwilling to lend following the global financial crisis, companies and private equity firms are being forced to explore alternatives and mezzanine debt is shifting up the pecking order. This hybrid between debt [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS June 2, 2010 BDO The accountancy firm has appointed Tim Kirk as head of its advisory services practice, leading its offering in the risk, regulatory and management consulting areas. Prior to joining BDO, Kirk was managing director of The Kirk Consultancy, a specialist marketing and customer experience consultancy serving FTSE 100 and global companies. Prior to that, he [...]
Record period tops forecast for VTB bank June 2, 2010 VTB, Russia’s second biggest lender, returned to the black with a record 15.3bn rouble (£335m) profit for the first three months of 2010 after six quarters of losses. The company beat analysts’ estimate of 10.2bn roubles, but decided not to raise its full-year forecast. Chief financial officer Herbert Moos said: “We do not expect that [...]
Russia’s Lukoil doubles quarterly profit June 2, 2010 LUKOIL, Russia’s number two crude oil producer, yesterday said first-quarter net profit more than doubled, beating analysts’ forecasts, due to rising oil prices. Lukoil, in which US rival ConocoPhillips decided to sell half of its 20 per cent equity stake, said first-quarter net profit, attributable to shareholders, jumped to $2.05bn against a forecast of $1.84bn. [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS June 2, 2010 FERROVIAL Citigroup issues Ferrovial with a “buy” recommendation and said that since January 2009 Ferrovial has sold €3bn (£2.5bn) of assets. Citi said new greenfield projects which require less up-front equity are the preferred target for new investments and management noted higher returns due to more limited competition. DIAGEO Evolution Securities said Diageo is increasingly [...]
EX-CITI BANKER CLAIMS UNFAIR DISMISSAL – FOR BEING GORGEOUS June 2, 2010 WE’VE all heard of lawsuits being fired back and forth due to foxy females being sexually harassed at work, but bringing a legal complaint because managers insist a lady is too attractive to wear her normal office attire? That’s got to be a new one. Latino bombshell Debrahlee Lorenzana has filed a lawsuit in New [...]
Banks drag FTSE down even lower June 2, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index fell yesterday, led down by banks, but finished well off session lows on fresh hopes for economic recovery after strong US pending home sales data. The FTSE 100 closed 11.98 points or 0.2 per cent lower at 5,151.32, having dropped as low as 5,072.53. The index fell 0.5 per cent on [...]
US energy shares push Wall St up June 2, 2010 US stocks rallied yesterday as investors rushed back into beaten-down shares, led by energy, which bore the brunt of the sell-off a day earlier. The energy sector handily led the way up with the S&P energy index gaining 4.3 per cent. US-listed shares of BP climbed 3.1 per cent to $37.66 even as the company [...]
UK bank stocks are attractive but precarious June 2, 2010 COMPARED to some of the financial institutions in continental Europe, Britain’s banks, even the part-nationalised ones, are managing to exude an air of respectability and even strength. While French and German financial institutions – banks and insurers – are estimated by Barclays Capital to hold just under €80bn of Greek debt, British banks have minimal [...]
The search for safety fuels a rush to buy gold June 2, 2010 AS THE euro crisis simmers on, investors are rushing to stock up on physical gold in the search for a safe hold of value. Gold prices spiked to record highs in May, reaching $1,249 or £840 per ounce. Castlestone Management’s Angus Murray has even suggested a rise to $1,400 in the short-term and a trend [...]
