Aviva to sell US unit at discount to boost revival November 8, 2012 INSURANCE giant Aviva yesterday said it will sell its struggling US business at a substantial discount in order to ensure its radical turnaround plan remains on track. Executive chairman John MacFarlane confirmed that the sale of the Iowa-based business is on the horizon and said it is set to fetch far less than its £2.4bn [...]
Versatile Youngs can handle England Test job, insists Lancaster November 8, 2012 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster has hailed the metamorphosis of Leicester’s Tom Youngs from centre to Test hooker after handing the 25-year-old his international debut in tomorrow’s clash with Fiji. Youngs, whose scrum-half brother Ben will start the first of this month’s four Tests on the bench, is one of five changes from England’s last [...]
Wasp Thomas ready to face old pals in cup November 8, 2012 WASPS hooker T Rhys Thomas insists there will be no old pals’ act when he returns to his former stomping ground, vowing to show Cardiff Blues no mercy in the LV= Cup this evening. Thomas, 30, spent almost nine years at the Blues before joining Dai Young at the London club this summer and he’s [...]
Aviva looks to the future but faces a hard slog to get there November 8, 2012 AVIVA yesterday echoed President Barack Obama, promising the best is yet to come as it touted costly transformation plans. It doesn’t face a crisis as ominous as America’s fiscal cliff, but the headwinds are severe. As we wait for a decision on its new chief executive, Aviva can’t even promise an easy transition, admitting with [...]
Hodgson out for six weeks November 7, 2012 RUGBY UNION: Saracens have suffered a blow after in-form fly-half Charlie Hodgson was ruled out for six weeks with a fractured cheekbone. The sure-kicking former England No10, who has amassed 90 points this season, suffered the injury in Sunday’s 29-24 Aviva Premiership win over Wasps.
Who’s switching jobs November 7, 2012 Deloitte Michael Lee has been appointed director of Deloitte’s analytics practice. He joins from Detica NetReveal, and is a specialist in using analytics to detect and prevent fraud and financial crime. HSBC Andy Clark has been appointed chief executive at HSBC’s UK asset management branch. He has worked for the bank since 2005, most recently [...]
Advisers on track to be RDR-ready November 6, 2012 A majority of financial advisers are now compliant with the forthcoming Retail Distribution Review regulations coming into force in January, a survey out yesterday said. Insurer Aviva found two-thirds of advisers had already achieved qualifications to make them RDR compliant. A further 46 per cent said that they would also obtain qualifications beyond statutory requirements. [...]
Raft of firms set to release figures as Bank debates if more QE needed November 4, 2012 THE biggest question for UK investors this week is whether the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt for more quantitative easing. The decision, which will be announced on Thursday, comes after strong jobs and GDP data. “Strong third quarter GDP data suggested that underlying growth was slightly stronger than previously thought and [...]
Trusty Hodgson kicks Sarries to win over Wasps November 4, 2012 SARACENS boss Mark McCall knows full well the impact Charlie Hodgson has had on Saracens this season but he insisted he delivered more than he expected in yesterday’s 29-24 Aviva Premiership win over Wasps. The 31-year-old kicked seven penalties in another assured performance with the boot at Vicarage Road, taking his total points tally in [...]
Wasps pack out to sting Saracens in derby November 1, 2012 LONDON Wasps are on a high following four straight wins, but hooker Tom Lindsay has bad news for Saracens ahead of Sunday’s Aviva Premiership clash – insisting the forwards are still not satisfied. Last season’s woes – where Wasps survived the drop on the last day of the season – seem a thing of the [...]