Surge in women on bank boards after credit crisis September 15, 2013 BRITISH banks have almost doubled the proportion of women on their boards in the past six years, according to research out today from recruiter Astbury Marsden. Twenty per cent of board directors are now women across the top five biggest UK lenders, up from 12 per cent in 2007. That is the same level as [...]
Coalition urged to dig deeper on infrastructure September 15, 2013 BUSINESSES want the government to work harder on getting big infrastructure projects off the ground, a poll of more than 500 firms out today shows. Company bosses are losing confidence in the coalition’s ideas for upgrading roads, railways and energy networks, with just 35 per cent now believing the upgrades will have a positive effect [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 16 September 2013 September 15, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Diamond calls for bank shake-up Bob Diamond – the former head of Barclays who tried to buy Lehman Brothers before its collapse five years ago – has joined a chorus of criticism over the lack of progress in ending banks’ “too big to fail” status. Citing “insufficient” progress in ways to safely wind [...]
Top companies add £40bn to cash mountain September 15, 2013 THE UK’S biggest companies have increased the piles of cash on their balance sheets by more than £40bn since the start of the financial crisis – enough to cut the UK’s annual deficit by a third, fresh figures out today show. The wall of cash retained by firms in the FTSE 100, excluding banks, has [...]
Small firms’ confidence soars as the recovery takes hold at last September 15, 2013 THE RECOVERY means most London firms expect to be able to grow in the next year, while hiring is up across the country as confidence rises, according to two studies. Small firms in the capital are at their most confident ever, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Its confidence index shot up to [...]
Accountants predict robust UK growth to bounce back in 2014 September 15, 2013 AFTER good growth figures were revealed for the second quarter, a major group of accountants has raised its growth forecast for the UK, citing the strongest business confidence since 2010. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) announced today that it expects 2.3 per cent growth next year, after 1.5 per cent [...]
Listed firms on London Fashion Week stage September 15, 2013 Luxury handbag and fashion favourite Mulberry revealed its latest collection yesterday at London Fashion Week, with model Cara Delevingne also stepping out for Sir Philip Green’s Topshop Unique brand. Models for FTSE 100 firm Burberry will tread the boards today.
Royal Mail faces legal fight over tax exemptions September 15, 2013 THE GOVERNMENT’S plan to privatise the Royal Mail came under attack this weekend as the postal service faces legal action over its VAT exemption status as well as the increasing possibility of strike action over its float. TNT Post UK will go to the High Court on 26 November to challenge the Royal Mail’s 20 [...]
Cash shunned by consumers and firms as payments go mobile September 15, 2013 MOBILE transaction volumes will come close to the 30bn mark in 2014, according to a report out today from RBS and Capgemini, as consumers and firms increasingly move away from cash and onto electronic channels. Non-cash payments are expected to top 333bn transactions globally this year, a rise of 8.5 per cent on the year. [...]
Cyber criminals target suppliers to hit big firms September 15, 2013 HACKERS are increasingly accessing the computer systems of large corporations by targeting their much smaller suppliers, insurer Allianz will claim today. Large businesses have spent billions beefing up their security systems. But while this has rebuffed some computer criminals, hackers have responded by attacking small firms that supply the same firms. “Many cyber criminals are [...]
