Who’s switching jobs November 21, 2012 Cushman & Wakefield Robert Murphy has been appointed partner and head of City of London development in the commercial real estate service firm’s London markets team. He joins from CBRE, where he was a senior director in its central London development team. Picton Fraser D’Arcy has been appointed to the newly-created role of investment director [...]
Best of the Brokers November 21, 2012 DIRECT LINE RBC has an “outperform” rating on the newly-listed insurer with a price target of 230p. The broker sees Direct Line as well placed to use its scale to fend off price comparison sites. BRITISH LAND Morgan Stanley has upgraded the property firm’s rating to “overweight” and hiked its target from 540p to 570p. [...]
UK shares rebound led by energy rises despite thin trading volumes November 21, 2012 Shares rebounded from early falls for the second session in a row yesterday, with a rising oil price supporting energy stocks to lead British blue chips higher. The FTSE 100 index gained 3.93 points, or 0.1 per cent, to finish at 5,752.03 points in thin trade of only 85 per cent of the average 90 [...]
Wall St trades higher ahead of Thanksgiving November 21, 2012 US stocks finished modestly higher yesterday, with the S&P 500 up for a fourth session although trading volume was one of the year’s lowest on the day ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Investors welcomed news that a ceasefire was declared to end the flare-up in violence between Israel and the Palestinians, though the lack of [...]
There’s no third way for the City in Britain’s relationship with the EU November 21, 2012 TODAY David Cameron travels to Brussels to take part in a critical summit on the EU’s budget from 2014 to 2020. The occasion will involve more than just budget negotiations, however. This summit has implications for both the City of London and the UK’s broader position within the EU – areas where the coalition’s approach [...]
Banks are part of the solution: They’re the lifeblood of UK economic growth November 21, 2012 WHEN it comes to the economy, banks are usually seen as the problem – as the ones that got us in this mess. But banks are also part of the solution. It is not just that financial services is a major sector of the economy – one of the few sectors where the UK is [...]
Why I still support Abramovich’s rule at thriving Chelsea November 21, 2012 ROMAN Abramovich’s decision to dismiss Roberto di Matteo, barely six months after his coach won him the European Champions’ League for the first time in Chelsea’s history, has been roundly criticised by many who follow football. Commentators deplore the oligarch’s inability to settle on a manager and give his club stability. Di Matteo is the [...]
Will HP’s allegations against Autonomy damage the reputation of UK start-ups? November 21, 2012 YES Mike Franklin This case is hugely embarrassing. Although the former management of Autonomy has completely denied these allegations, the fallout could still be enormous. The seriousness is underscored by the fact that HP reported the case to the US Securities and Exchange Committee and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. A deal on this scale [...]
Rapid responses November 21, 2012 The cost of saving [Re: Fresh allegations overshadow welcome cultural shift in the City, yesterday] As a higher rate tax payer I benefited enormously from the 40 per cent tax relief on my pension contribution. But I was struck by the discrepancy between my position and that of my wife. As a lower rate taxpayer, [...]
MBA candidates are moving against the conventional grain November 21, 2012 THE decision to sign up to an MBA programme should not be taken lightly for a whole host of reasons. The two-year, full-time programme is expensive and, in applying, candidates are choosing to voluntarily leave the workplace, pay tuition fees, and dig into their savings to fund their living expenses. This may in part explain [...]