Arcade game legend Atari looks for extra lives after bankruptcy January 21, 2013 THE VIDEO game firm behind classics such as Pong and Asteroids has filed for bankruptcy in the US. Atari, one of the firms credited with kickstarting the industry in the 1970s, is being separated from its French parent company, in a bid to isolate the business from the French firm’s debts and give it a [...]
Cruddas due to face accuser in the High Court January 21, 2013 PETER Cruddas, the majority shareholder of spread-betting group CMC Markets and a former Conservative party treasurer, is set to appear in the High Court tomorrow to proceed with a defamation claim against the political lobbyist Mark Adams. Sources said that a meeting aimed at reaching a settlement in the case failed yesterday, with Adams unable [...]
Dell appoints Evercore Partners to find alternative buyout offers January 21, 2013 DELL, the US personal computer manufacturer which is currently negotiating a private buyout deal, has appointed advisory firm Evercore Partners to find out if a better offer can be found, according to reports. Dell is believed to be close to a deal led by buyout firm Silverlake Partners, which is being supported by founder and [...]
Vouchers and cashback offers boom as shoppers tighten belts January 21, 2013 OFFERS on price comparison websites, cashback services and voucher schemes have become an advertising market worth more than £800m in the UK. Research from the IAB UK, produced by professional services firm PwC, out today claims that the offers – known as online performance marketing (OPM) – have become one of the fastest growing parts [...]
Moscow stock exchange plans Russian float January 21, 2013 MOSCOW’S stock exchange plans to float on its own platform, seeking to revitalise Russia’s capital markets and convince companies to list domestically rather than abroad. Shareholders of the Moscow Exchange, Russia’s main venue for trading in stocks, bonds, foreign exchange and derivatives, are expected to sell stock worth at least $500m (£315.9m), one source familiar [...]
MPs hear RBS should be split in two for sale January 21, 2013 RBS should be broken up to make it easier for the government to sell the bailed out bank, former policymaker Adam Posen said yesterday. The ex-Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member told a committee of MPs and peers that selling simple units of the retail banking and investment banking arms could be a better [...]
Floods devastate Indonesian capital January 21, 2013 FLOODING has hit the centre of Jakarta, resulting in at least 20 deaths and causing millions of pounds worth of damage to the Indonesian capital. Insurers now face a substantial bill for the catastrophe, although the floods do not appear to be on the same scale as Indonesia’s 2007 monsoon season which cost the industry [...]
It’s snow joke as Merkel faces Davos bookies January 21, 2013 THE MOST important people in the world are currently packing their toothbrushes, making sure the neighbour will feed the cat and getting ready for five days discussing the global financial system in the Swiss Alps. But The Capitalist wonders whether those attending this week’s World Economic Forum – or Davos to you and me – [...]
Transport bosses invite buskers with the X Factor to auditions January 21, 2013 THE DIZZYING career arc of a reality TV music star often takes in a spot of busking along the way. But Transport for London has decided to turn the format on its head, inviting prospective London buskers to take part in a terrifying round of X Factor-style auditions to win a coveted spot serenading droves [...]
Business loans down as firms stop borrowing January 21, 2013 THE BANK of England’s Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) seems to have kicked in to reduce lending costs for firms, official figures showed yesterday. But business lending kept on falling, which industry groups believe points to a lack of demand from firms for credit. Net lending to firms fell another £2.8bn in November, resulting in [...]
