Moody’s warns life insurers on sales as tax breaks end June 1, 2011 CUTBACKS on life insurers’ tax breaks in Europe are a threat to their competitiveness that is being compounded by ultra-low interest rates in the region, credit rating agency Moody’s said yesterday. European life insurers may see their sales volumes hurt if they fail to deliver better returns on life products than savings products offered by [...]
How to triple your chances of winning the job June 1, 2011 TODAY’S job market is one of the most competitive we’ve ever seen. Good job opportunities attract literally hundreds of online applications. Often every one of these lists the same high levels of skills and qualifications. Just how can you stand out and win the job you want in this context? Especially when it is clear [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS May 30, 2011 SPORTINGBET Evolution Securities rates the online bookmaker “buy” and has a target price of 70p. The broker thinks the £119m acquisition of Australian rival Centrebet makes strong strategic and financial sense, coupled with high quality European business and good current trading. Evolution adds that trading in May has been robust. AVIVA Killik & Co rates [...]
ALL CHANGE AT LLOYD’S AS IT RINGS 25 YEARS May 26, 2011 IT MAY seem like only yesterday for many City veterans, but today marks 25 years since the first managing agents moved into the landmark Lloyd’s building on Lime Street. So happy anniversary to the insurance giant, which still shows traces of more than 300 years of Lloyd’s history, such as the famous Lutine Bell, which [...]
FTSE lifted by commodities and Man Group May 26, 2011 The FTSE rose today as commodity stocks received a lift while a series of positive corporate results helped to boost investor sentiment. As G8 leaders gathered in France with the future leadership of the IMF and the eurozone debt crisis at the heart of the talks, global markets regained some lost confidence. Investors once again [...]
CITY VIEWS: IS THERE IS A NEW DOT.COM BUBBLE? May 25, 2011 DEEPAK MALIK | AVIVA “I think possibly, yes. Companies such as LinkedIn are valued very highly and it’s not justifiable. It will be interesting to see what other websites such as Facebook and Twitter are valued at.” WARREN CAMPBELL | JUBILEE “I think there is but it’s not going to be as devastating as it [...]
Lloyds poaches Aviva life boss May 23, 2011 Lloyds Banking Group has poached Aviva’s head of UK life insurance to run its own insurance business. Toby Strauss had worked for Aviva since 2008, and will join the firm as group director of insurance and a member of the group executive committee, subject to FSA approval. Lloyds chief executive António Horta-Osório has made a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 22, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES BAIN PULLS OUT OF RAC AUCTION Bain Capital has pulled out of the bidding for RAC, the roadside rescue business of UK insurer Aviva. The US private equity group last week dropped out of the auction after bidding less than its rivals, people close to the situation said. That leaves Carlyle, Clayton Dubilier [...]
O’Driscoll is still a doubt May 19, 2011 LEINSTER vs NORTHAMPTON IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll remains a doubt for Leinster’s Heineken Cup final against Northampton tomorrow. O’Driscoll sustained a knee injury against Ulster last weekend and was unable to take a full part in yesterday’s training session. Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said that O’Driscoll had only been able to run at “three-quarters pace” [...]
CITY VIEWS: DO YOU HAVE A SMARTPHONE? May 17, 2011 NIPON RAVEL | XCHANGING “Yes, my head’s always in it! I use it for both work and social purposes, and I also have a separate smartphone just for work.” PAM TREVETT | AVIVA “I’ve had one for a while now and I definitely wouldn’t survive without it. It’s great being able to combine work and [...]