Gartmore to woo advisers September 19, 2010 ASSET manager Gartmore is to launch a national roadshow aimed at persuading independent financial advisers the group is recovering from the traumatic departure of one of its star fund managers, Guillaume Rambourg, and the net withdrawal this year of £1.9bn in funds. The firm will meet more than 2,700 advisers before the end of the [...]
William Hill eyes Tote sale and dismisses competition rules September 19, 2010 BRITAIN’S biggest bookmaker William Hill yesterday said it would consider buying state-owned betting firm the Tote, dismissing current UK competition rules which could rule it out as a buyer as “archaic”. “We would be very interested in looking at any opportunity to expand our UK retail footprint through acquisition, including the sale of the Tote,” [...]
Workers struggle before each monthly payday, research finds September 19, 2010 MORE than four in 10 adults in Britain struggle each month to make it to payday, according to research for insolvency trade body R3, which shows that for the average person this struggle begins on the 20th day after payday. The main causes for this struggle, cited by around 50 per cent of respondents, are [...]
Investor fury over Syke’s mining role September 19, 2010 THE former chairman of Glaxo Smith Kline, Sir Richard Sykes, faces the possibility of being “blackballed” by the City in a row over a disputed African mining deal. Several investors are believed to be angry with Sykes over his role as senior independent director of Eurasian Natural Resources (ENRC). One City insider said there were [...]
Indian group eyes $2bn bid for MGM September 19, 2010 INDIAN conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar is thought to be in discussions about buying the debt of struggling film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $1.5bn to $2bn (£960m to £1.28bn). MGM, which has about $4bn in debt, could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for Sahara India Pariwar, which owns businesses in media, entertainment, real estate and [...]
South Korean banking governor criticises Japan’s currency sale September 19, 2010 SOUTH Korea’s central bank chief has poured scorn on Japan’s currency intervention, saying he was sceptical that Japan will succeed in stemming the yen’s strength without the help of other major currency issuers. “When it comes to Japan, there’s no doubt it can’t be achieved through a single country’s effort,” Bank of Korea governor Kim [...]
City hiring market gets summer surge September 19, 2010 CITY recruitment underwent a laesummer surge in August, according to research from financial services recruitment firm Astbury Martin. The company said the number of new City job vacancies created in August jumped 5,031, up seven per cent from July’s 4,713. The figure was also up 21 per cent on the number of new City jobs [...]
Fashion Week’s going mad for 1950s Mad Men September 19, 2010 LONDON Fashion Week (17–22 September) got underway this weekend with more than a nod to 1950s Mad Men style. Channelling the popular programme’s signature look, Jasper Conran yesterday revealed models with the nipped in waists and prim cardigans beloved of the show’s Betty Draper. Another era – the 1970s – was also in evidence, with [...]
Vodafone on track for Verizon dividend September 19, 2010 MOBILE phone operator Vodafone came a step closer to persuading Verizon to pay a dividend last week after bosses from the two firms held secret meetings in New York, reports said yesterday. Vittorio Colao of Vodafone and Ivan Seidenberg of Verizon met to discuss Vodafone’s 45 per cent stake in Verizon Wireless, according to the [...]
Visa pushes new mobile phone payment systems September 19, 2010 VISA will roll out a network that will allow its customers to pay for goods using their mobile phones in time for the 2012 Olympics. The world’s biggest payment processing firm hopes the new technology will allow it to corner the small transactions market, which is still dominated by cash purchases. The firm believes the [...]