CITY VIEWS: Are you optimistic about the COMING YEAR FOR THE CITY? December 22, 2011 JAMES ALLCOTT ACCENTURE “Yes. I think with all of the banking changes there will be lots of work for management consultants, which is good for us, but whether this change is good for the City as a whole I’m not sure!” MAURICE TRATTON ARGENTA HOLDINGS “I’m not optimistic or pessimistic, because there is a different [...]
SAINSBURY’S FAIL TO DELIVER THIS CHRISTMAS December 22, 2011 UP TO one hundred Sainbury’s shoppers were disappointed when a website malfunction caused delivery slot bookings to be cancelled, resulting in lost Christmas orders. The UK’s third largest grocer said it has offered a gesture of goodwill – although it would not specify what – to the customers for whom a suitable alternative could not [...]
Anglo hits back at Codelco December 22, 2011 The row over Anglo American’s Chilean business heated up yesterday, with the mining group taking legal action against Codelco, its partner in the country. Anglo has filed a writ alleging breach of contract against Codelco. At issue is Anglo’s deal to sell a 24.5 per cent stake in its Chilean business to Mitsubishi for $5.39bn [...]
Toyota predicts 20pc growth December 22, 2011 Toyota has forecast a 20 per cent jump in 2012 sales to a record 8.48m vehicles, as it recovers from output losses triggered by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand this year. The Japanese company, the world’s top carmaker since 2008, is set to lose its crown to US rival General Motors after supply-chain disruptions.
Hansteen buys Spencer assets December 22, 2011 Britain’s Hansteen Holdings has bought property assets from the Spencer Group for £150m, as the industrial property investor looks to expand its portfolio of assets in the UK. The properties are almost one third vacant and will generate £4m in rent a year.
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 22, 2011 SWIP Scottish Widows Investment Partnership has confirmed Francis Ghiloni as director of distribution and client management. Ghiloni, who joined SWIP in March 2010 as head of group partnerships, has held the role on an interim basis since June. Based in Edinburgh, Ghiloni reports to SWIP’s managing director Dean Buckley, and will be responsible for SWIP’s [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS December 22, 2011 BEAZLEY Nomura rates the insurance group as “neutral” with a target price of 135p, after it confirmed its interest in fellow Lloyd’s insurer Hardy on Wednesday. The broker notes that Beazley will probably need external financing if it pushes ahead with the deal, as an improving rate outlook and interest from other parties could push [...]
S&P is set to finish higher for the year December 22, 2011 US stocks rose yesterday, putting the S&P 500 on the cusp of finishing out the year higher as another decline in jobless claims pointed to further improvement in the labour market. The S&P rose for a third day in seasonally light volume that has contributed to sharp swings recently. With the benchmark index near break-even [...]
Year-end portfolio reshuffles help to boost the FTSE 100 December 22, 2011 BANKS buoyed the FTSE 100 yesterday as Goldman Sachs analysts said the take-up by lenders of ECB loans should be seen as an “important positive” and market bulls attempted to push the index through important technical levels. London’s blue chips closed up 67.23 points, or 1.3 per cent, at 5,456.97, although the index failed to [...]
Test your wits with our quiz December 22, 2011 1. In a Which? magazine blind taste test of champagnes by experienced champagne tasters, Moet & Chandon’s Brut NV, priced at £30.99, received a score of 74%. But which of the following champagnes received the highest score of 85%? a. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV (£34.49) b. Lanson Black Label (£31.99) c. Morrisons Brut [...]
