FUND MANAGEMENT NEWS January 12, 2011 NEW MERGER ARBITRAGE FUND PineBridge investments has launched a new merger arbitrage fund designed to profit from investing in publicly announced merger and acquisition transactions. The UCITS III compliant fund is managed by Lan Cai, who has 15 years of experience in investing in equities and derivatives. Ms Cai has managed PineBridge’s merger arbitrage strategy [...]
Credibility risk places pressure on BoE’s King January 12, 2011 BALLOONING global prices and stubbornly above-target inflation in the UK are piling pressure on the Bank of England’s rate setting committee to tighten its monetary policy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) makes its latest announcement on interest rates at lunchtime today. The MPC is expected to hold rates at the historically low 0.5 per cent, [...]
Concern for workforce quality after new league tables show low school standards January 12, 2011 BUSINESS leaders expressed concern at the standard of education yesterday, as figures revealed that one in six students failed to meet new “English baccalaureate” standards. “This is very worrying and underlines the continuing need for radical reform in education,” said Miles Templeman of the Institute of Directors. An estimated 216 state comprehensive schools are failing [...]
CITY A.M. | SHADOW MPC January 12, 2011 ALLISTER HEATH | CITY A.M “The recovery is still on track, despite the effects of December’s winter freeze. With inflation set to hit four per cent in the coming months, rates must be normalied before it is too late.” SIMON WARD | HENDERSON “Raise by 0.5 per cent. A rate hike last summer would have [...]
A double dose of danger for elite Death Inc January 12, 2011 SHADOW FORCE BY MATT LYNN HEADLINE, £12.99 IT doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a book called Shadow Force – the first in a series that tracks a pack of mercenaries around the world – is not going to have much of a feminine touch. Well, journalist Matt Lynn has gone the [...]
WORLD BOOZE BRIEFING VINEXPO CONFERENCE January 12, 2011 The British taste for bacchanalia is on the rise, according to a massive drink report announced yesterday, conducted by IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Research) in conjunction with Vinexpo, the massive industry fair. The UK remains the number one importer of wine in the world – of which our favourite is Australian – in terms [...]
Yuan to be traded freely in US January 12, 2011 Americans will soon be able to freely trade the Chinese yuan, after a bank owned by the Chinese state announced it would be allowed for the first time. And the move is just one step towards full freeing up of controls on the currency, according to a spokesman from the Bank of China.
Real wages down across sectors January 12, 2011 Pay growth remained below inflation in both the commercial and government sectors last month, a survey revealed today. Pay in December increased by just 1.1 per cent in both sectors, combined to the same time in 2009, according to the VocaLink index. “Eleven months of elevated inflation and another VAT hike, combined with a sharp [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY January 12, 2011 SOLVING YOUR WORK-LIFE PROBLEMS DEAR VEXED: I am completely stressed out. I made three New Year’s resolutions: to diet, not to drink in January, and to work harder. I’ve slipped on all of them already, particularly the diet. The more I try to be good, the harder it is. I feel like crying. Bob, 28, [...]
Tax hikes worry small businesses January 12, 2011 While severe winter weather had a negative impact on business last month, the increases in fuel duty and VAT pose a stronger threat to small British companies, according to a snap poll by the Federation of Small Businesses released yesterday. Around 39 per cent said that the rise in fuel duty will have a significant [...]