Barclays share price rises as it confirms sale of Portuguese assets September 3, 2015 Barclays confirmed this morning it will sell its Portuguese non-core assets – including its retail banking, wealth and investment businesses, as well as the small business arm of its corporate banking business – to Bankinter. It will also sell its insurance business in the country to Bankinter's insurance subsidiary, which operates a joint venture with [...]
FTSE closes up after positive Ashtead results – London Report September 3, 2015 Britain’s leading share index ended higher yesterday, buoyed by results from industrial equipment hire group Ashtead and by opening gains on Wall Street. The FTSE 100 closed up at 24.77 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 6,083.31, broadly in line with European indexes and Wall Street. Stocks were more upbeat as investors bet that the [...]
US supply data sends oil prices tumbling again September 3, 2015 CRUDE oil prices fell again yesterday, on news that US stockpiles rose again last week. Global benchmark Brent crude was back to trading below $50 per barrel, despite earlier gains, in a marked departure from the three-day bull market seen over the last few days of August. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also fell, [...]
US companies weathering the global storm and keep hiring September 3, 2015 AMERICAN companies kept hiring in August despite global market turbulence over the last couple of weeks, according to a survey released yesterday. Strong labour market figures could support the case for a US rate hike this year – or even this month – although projections for monetary tightening have been pushed back due to worries [...]
Fintech Week London 2015: It’s startups v banks in Fintech expo drinking session September 2, 2015 Caloo callay, it's nearly London Fintech Week, where startups from Shoreditch to Shadwell will be touting their wares to execs from some of the City’s most high profile firms in a bid to become the next big thing in business. Billed as the “world’s largest fintech-focused expo”, economists, bankers and brokers from companies old [...]
The Hut Group eyes acquisitions after securing £210m loan September 2, 2015 FOOTWEAR-to-protein shake online conglomerate the Hut Group has secured a £210m loan with its banks as it eyes further expansion. The firm, which counts retail veterans Sir Stuart Rose and Sir Terry Leahy among its backers, said it has replaced a £80m loan with a £210m credit facility provided by six banks, including Barclays and [...]
City Moves for 2 September 2015 | Who’s switching jobs September 1, 2015 Hausfeld Anna Morfey has been appointed partner in the litigation law firm’s European practice. She joins from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she was a senior associate. Morfey’s practice comprises contentious and non-contentious EU and competition law. Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers Europe The real estate investment management firm has appointed Rachel Arden-Davis as director, finance and [...]
JP Morgan Cazenove stays ahead of rival Bank of America Merrill Lynch in top broker battle August 31, 2015 JP Morgan Cazenove’s capture of Barclays’ coveted broking mandate has helped the investment bank stretch its lead at the top of the latest adviser rankings. The bank, which brokers giants like Vodafone and Standard Chartered, has 34 FTSE 100 clients, seven more than its nearest rival Bank of America Merrill Lynch, according to the [...]
August Bank Holiday 2015 blues for Barclays, RBS and NatWest staff as local branches stay open August 27, 2015 In these modern times of accessibility and 24-hour contact, is the Bank Holiday becoming part of Britain’s history more than a cultural event? Three lenders were excited to announce the desecration of the sacred so-called bank holiday weekend by opening branches across the country. While execs and chairs head off to their homes in the [...]
Chinese economic crisis: China cuts rates as a pick-me-up after stock market crash August 26, 2015 Aftershocks from Monday’s chaos rippled through global markets yesterday, with shares bouncing back in parts of the west and China providing a shot in the arm for its battered trading floors and wavering economy. Following the worst worldwide stock market rout in years, the FTSE came out fighting and recorded its biggest one-day rise [...]