General Election 2015: Ed Miliband comes out smiling in opposition leaders’ big BBC TV debate April 16, 2015 It was a big night for Ed Miliband. Going into a debate of the opposition party leaders, he had to prove that he was the Prime Minister in waiting at the same time as taking friendly fire from other left-wing parties, and anti-Westminster shots from Nigel Farage. Agreeing to debate was definitely a risk for [...]
BBC TV debate: The good, the bad and the soundbites from the opposition leaders April 16, 2015 ED MILIBAND: LABOUR The best: “I’ve fought Tories all my life Nicola” he told Sturgeon, before referencing 1979, when the SNP brought down a Labour government to bring in Margaret Thatcher. It stopped Sturgeon pitching herself as the anti-Conservative leader. The worst: Miliband failed to give a straight answer on what would happen [...]
Shareholders speak up for Alliance Trust April 16, 2015 SMALL shareholders are speaking up in favour of Alliance Trust’s management, and against the bid by activist investor Elliott Advisors to add three new directors to the board. One individual investor from Norwich told City A.M. that the existing board represents good behaviour and values which have disappeared from some other finance firms. “Returns have [...]
Goldman profits soar on equity trading wins and cost controls April 16, 2015 HIGH-PROFILE investment bank Goldman Sachs scored a major success in the first quarter of the year as its focus on trading activities paid off in style. Profits jumped 41 per cent on the year to $2.7bn (£1.8bn), as revenues shot up 14 per cent to $10.6bn. By contrast, non-interest expenses only increased six per cent [...]
Standard Chartered: Crisis has made firms over-sensitive to emerging risks April 16, 2015 Investors and businesses have over-reacted to the financial crisis, placing too much weight on emerging risks and not enough on economic opportunities, analysts at Standard Chartered said yesterday. Firms could be missing out because they see all possible risks as having enormous potential, rather than addressing them even-handedly. “While there are clearly risks today, businesses [...]
Investors pile into Citigroup as US bank slashes costs to shore up income April 16, 2015 Citigroup’s profits hit an eight-year high in the first quarter of 2015, as falling costs indicated the lender is becoming leaner and more efficient. The giant banking group hit the buffers in the financial crisis, and has spent years since slimming down and turning its operations around. Revenues slid two per cent on the year, [...]
BP appeases green groups at 2015 AGM: Investors put climate change on the agenda April 16, 2015 Oil firm BP gave shareholders a taste of how committed the company is to keeping costs to a minimum in the face of falling oil prices at its annual general meeting, held yesterday in London, after it laid on a feast of sandwiches and crisps instead of the usual hot food. When one shareholder asked [...]
Global activist groups gather to protest Rio Tinto investor event April 16, 2015 MINING group Rio Tinto held its annual meeting yesterday against a backdrop of protests against its environmental record. Representatives from global workers’ unions, including Unite and IndustriALL, as well as the London Mining Network, gathered in London to draw attention to the firm’s transgressions. IndustriALL’s Kemal Ozkan said: “The company systematically fails on environmental, social [...]
Lord Ashcroft in battle mode for Zulu film choice April 16, 2015 CINEMA fans following the Crossbench Film Society’s offerings this year are certainly seeing some wild swings in political thinking. As the name suggests, the club – hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank and launched in January – screens the film faves of politicians from all parties. So brace yourself for this month’s selection – [...]
Tucking into a tikka and a good cause April 16, 2015 PRINCESS Anne, the business elite and military brass all turned out yesterday for the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, raising around £350,000 for ABF The Soldier’s Charity, which has aided returning and retired British troops since 1944. After the masala was munched and the dahl was devoured bidding got underway in a charity auction. The [...]
