Debt fears hit Greek bonds March 30, 2010 Greek sovereign bonds suffered a sharp sell-off yesterday as investor concerns over the country’s financial health flared up again. The price of seven-year bonds issued on Monday dropped as a new issue of 12-year paper struggled to find buyers. Investors remain worried that Germany might refuse to give financial aid if Greece fails to meet [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 30, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES M&A SURGE IN ASIA WHILE THE US AND EUROPE SUFFER Mergers and acquisitions boomed in Asia in the first quarter in sharp contrast to a slump in deal volume in Europea and the US, underlining a global shift in activity in the wake of the credit crisis. The value of global M&A overall [...]
Tories and Labour drop a point March 30, 2010 Last night’s YouGov poll put the Conservatives down one point on 38 per cent, Labour down one point on 31 per cent and the Lib Dems up a point on 19 per cent. The increased Tory lead after the Budget remains unchanged, with David Cameron’s sanguine approach to Tony Blair’s assault on the Tories appearing well [...]
Irish banks face shortfall of up to €22bn March 30, 2010 IRELAND hit its banks with a hefty penalty to take loans off their hands and said they needed at least €22bn (£19.6m) in extra funds to recover from a property collapse that was worse than feared. Last night revealed the discount on property loans Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is taking from stricken banks [...]
EMI in talks over $300m injection March 30, 2010 TROUBLED record company EMI is in talks with America’s Universal Music and Sony over a licensing deal that could raise up to $300m (£200m) to help pay down its debts. An agreement with one of the labels would yield an upfront fee in return for a five-year contract that would give the winning bidder the [...]
Sheikh dies in glider accident March 30, 2010 AN Emirati sheikh who headed one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds has been found dead four days after a glider crash in Morocco, state media said. Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, 41, was a younger brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi, who is also president of the United Arab Emirates. He was [...]
Ladbrokes boss bets on £12m March 30, 2010 LADBROKES’ incoming chief executive, Richard Glynn, could hit the jackpot with a “golden hello” worth £12m over five years. Glynn, chairman of Sporting Index, will have to double the company’s share price from its current level of 158.3p over the period to receive the amount in full. The 45-year-old replaces Chris Bell, who announced his departure [...]
RBS hit with £29m fine for price sharing March 30, 2010 Royal Bank of Scotland has been slapped with a £29m fine after being caught attempting to share loan prices with its biggest rival. The move backfired when Barclays staff shopped the RBS workers to the regulator. The Office of Fair Trading said RBS executives broke competition law by giving their counterparts at Barclays information on [...]
Banks to be forced to put investors first March 30, 2010 UNDER new plans put forward by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) investment bankers will have to inform investors about what exactly it is they are doing with their money. The proposals come as a direct result of the financial crisis and in particular the collapse of Lehmans. If passed banks will have to increase their [...]
Keep an eye on executive pay, watchdogs are told March 30, 2010 THE Financial Stability Board (FSB) is worried companies will be tempted to begin competing for talented staff by using disproportionate bonus deals again as the financial crisis fades. In a review of remuneration practices across G20 countries published yesterday, the Switzerland-based body said its recommendations to reform pay in financial institutions had still not been [...]
