Misys aided by cost cutting as sales dip January 14, 2010 IT firm Misys met market expectations for first-half profit yesterday, helped by cost savings and growth in software maintenance, but said spending by its banking customers remained subdued. The company, which supplies software to banks and US doctors, posted adjusted operating profit of £62m, 11 per cent up on a year earlier, on revenue of [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS January 14, 2010 XSTRATA Investec Securities yesterday initiated coverage on what it called “the predator of the mining industry”. The broker put a “buy” recommendation on the stock, saying that looking beyond Xstrata’s M&A capabilities, the firm has excellent organic growth prospects and the best leverage of its peer group to rising commodity prices. BOVIS HOMES Panmure Gordon [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 14, 2010 Cazenove Capital The asset management firm has appointed Louis Greening as a desk-based UK advisory sales consultant. Greening joins from Skandia, where he has worked in the London-based sales team for the past two years. Prior to that, he was at Friends Provident. In his new role, he will be responsible for building new relationships [...]
Take the plunge, don’t be afraid January 14, 2010 SITTING in a leather armchair in the atrium just below his office in Chancery Lane, Grant Challis is musing on the last two years. In that time he has gone from working for a listed investment bank to starting up his own firm, Frostrow Capital: “The scary part is taking the plunge, the reality is [...]
Know the perils of poaching January 14, 2010 ANYBODY working in a client-facing business and thinking of starting their own firm has to be aware of the legal tangle surrounding “poaching” your former clients. What is allowed all hinges on the contract you signed with your former employer. If you have a contract with “restrictive covenants” then you need to tread carefully. A [...]
Q&A January 14, 2010 Q. I am running a small start-up business and I need to find an office. I want something that is value for money but also looks good for our clients. Can you give me some tips? A. When cost is a factor you must consider all of the other charges involved in the upkeep of [...]
Find value and beauty in an Austrian chalet January 14, 2010 SKIING down tree-lined snowy vistas in winter; hiking through lush green mountains by crystal blue lakes in summer. This is what’s on offer in Austria’s traditional Alpine towns. “Austria’s valley towns are proper year-round places,” says Giles Gale of Savills’ Alpine Homes. “In the summer they are filled with people mountain biking and hill-walking. And [...]
FOCUS ON: CLAPHAM January 14, 2010 39 BEAUCHAMP ROAD, SW11 1PG Price: £1.1m Located on a quiet residential street, this smart five-bedroom family home is within walking distance of Clapham Junction, which has transport links into the centre of London (23 minutes from Bank) and to Gatwick. Those needing plenty of storage space will benefit from the cellar and the possibility [...]
Q&A: BUYING January 14, 2010 CAMILLA DELL MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q. Dear Camilla, I am thinking about selling my property, but I am nervous about the upcoming general election and how this will affect the property market. Should I hold off until the election is over? A. Actually, we think that the current market is an ideal scenario [...]
Take the train to Chelsea’s smart river developments January 14, 2010 THINK of Chelsea and you probably think of the King’s Road, and the streets crammed with attractive townhouses between Sloane Square and Battersea Bridge. Travel further west along the river, and you reach an area that used to be something of a West London oddity –?around Sands End and Chelsea Harbour – but is now [...]
