Aviva ahead of schedule with refocusing plan May 7, 2015 AVIVA boss Mark Wilson said yesterday that the UK insurer’s turnaround plan is running ahead of schedule, with new business in the life arm up by 14 per cent to £247m in the first three months of 2015. On the general insurance side net written premiums grew by one per cent from £845m in the [...]
Panmure closes in on Charles Stanley division May 6, 2015 CITY broker Panmure Gordon yesterday said it was on the verge of buying Charles Stanley’s investment bank after a rival bid to buy the unit collapsed earlier this year. Panmure, led by chief executive Phillip Wale, has agreed in principle to buy the unit, which has contracts with 49 corporate clients. Mark Taylor, joint managing [...]
Tidjane Thiam’s last Prudential results put spotlight on Asia while UK business lags May 6, 2015 Outgoing Prudential boss Tidjane Thiam yesterday said the company was no longer seeking to grow in the US and UK, and would instead focus on expanding in the Asian market. Thiam delivered his last set of results as the head of the insurance group, which detailed the firm’s 22nd consecutive quarter of growth. Sales across [...]
Investors await the result of General Election – London Report May 4, 2015 ALL EYES will be on the political polls this week, as the nation gears up for the General Election on Thursday. With little to separate the popularity of the leading parties, the Conservatives and Labour, many expect no party will gain a majority, while many investors and property buyers are holding off from making decisions [...]
When raiders strike: Are US activist investors in City boardrooms a force for good or a costly nuisance? April 30, 2015 When US investor Nelson Peltz walks into a boardroom carrying a piece of paper you know there’s going to be trouble. Peltz, best known in the UK for bouncing Cadbury’s into a series of spin-outs and mergers, has a tried and tested tactic for effecting change: meet a chief executive, present him with a [...]
Troubled Barclays braced for famously tough incoming new chairman John McFarlane April 29, 2015 It is hard to keep a straight face when calling PPI compensation and litigation costs “one-offs” at any of the big banks nowadays. Yet seven years on from the start of the financial crisis, Barclays and the other big banks are still treating the extraordinary costs as unusual items each quarter. Yesterday Barclays [...]
Alliance Trust gets a year to show results as Elliott Advisors gives 12 months’ notice April 28, 2015 Investment firm Alliance Trust has been put on 12-months’ notice by activist investor Elliott Advisors to show results or be forced to change its strategy. In a vicious battle over the past month, both sides have been rallying support among shareholders, with Elliott pushing for three new directors to join the board, and Alliance [...]
What the General Election could mean for sterling – DailyFX Tips & Picks April 27, 2015 THERE are many ways the UK General Election could affect the financial markets. But since most FTSE 100 companies have an international exposure, most agree that the effect will primarily be felt by small cap businesses. Unless we get a Tory coalition with Ukip, that is. This could lead to an EU referendum and a [...]
City Moves for 27 April 2015 | Who’s switching jobs April 26, 2015 Nexus Underwriting Management Group Stuart Rouse has been appointed chief operating officer and chief financial officer (CFO) at the underwriting firm. He has previously served as CFO of Fusion Insurance, CFO of Towergate Underwriting, chief operating officer of Towergate Financial, CFO of Aspen’s managing agency and its insurance division, and latterly group chief operating officer [...]
Barclays’ bosses warn investors of pain ahead as Libor scandal fines and legal bills roll in April 23, 2015 Huge fines and legal bills are on the way, Barclays’ outgoing chairman Sir David Walker warned shareholders at yesterday’s annual general meeting. Walker joined the bank almost three years ago in the wake of the Libor scandal, aiming to clean it up. While he said he has made great strides in that direction, the City [...]