Stephen Hester’s role at risk as offer for RSA looks likely August 2, 2015 RSA boss Stephen Hester was given a hero’s welcome when he was appointed to lead the embattled insurer just over 18 months ago. However, following last week’s revelation that Zurich is mulling an offer for the group, he could be set to leave before finishing what he has started. The former Royal Bank of [...]
Odd Shares Awards nominees August 2, 2015 NOMINATIONS have just opened for this year’s annual Shares Awards, and some of the nominees may already raise a few eyebrows. Last month, customers were up in arms after several banks failed to sign on to mobile payment system Apple Pay, despite many believing that some, such as HSBC, were meant to be launch partners. [...]
The space age: Condeco’s Paul Statham talks trickle-down economics, expansion plans and why being a business leader feels so good August 2, 2015 Back in the early 1980s, the Statham family started an electronic security business in their garage. “We grew it into a fairly formidable company; we had 200 people working for us,” says Paul Statham, son, and now founder and chief executive of Condeco Software. The family sold Masco Security in 1999, in a multi-million pound [...]
Barclays cuts 150 investment bank jobs July 31, 2015 Barclays is planning to cut around 150 jobs in its investment banking arm, City A.M. understands. The cuts come shortly after chief executive Antony Jenkins was ousted by new chairman John McFarlane, who has earned the nickname "Mack the knife" thanks to his no-holds-barred approach to cutting headcounts. Deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake has also [...]
The great oil reset: Shell to axe 6,500 jobs as black gold price set to stay low July 31, 2015 Oil giant Shell revealed yesterday that it will axe 6,500 jobs this year, as new figures highlight the extent of cost-cutting throughout the industry. Shell slashed capital expenditure to around $30bn (£20bn) for 2015, a reduction of $3bn since the group’s last update in April. With extremely low oil prices taking their [...]
Transport for London pledges free access to Boris bikes on the last weekend of August July 30, 2015 Today marks exactly five years since Boris Bikes launched, and to celebrate, Transport for London (TfL) says it will offer bike enthusiasts free access to the cycle hire scheme – but for one weekend only: 22-23 August. TfL said the weekend will "allow people to try the scheme for the first time", as well as [...]
Pharmas cure the FTSE after Compass loses its bearings – London Report July 30, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index advanced yesterday, with Hikma Pharmaceuticals leading the market higher on positive broker comments. The blue chip FTSE 100 index closed 1.2 per cent higher at 6,631.00 points after rising 0.8 per cent in the previous session, when it ended a five-day losing streak. Hikma shares were the biggest gainers after a [...]
Barclays boss John McFarlane looks to cut costs despite profit rise in bid to streamline bank July 30, 2015 Barclays, Britain’s largest bank after HSBC, yesterday delivered £3.1bn of pre-tax profits for the first half of this year, boosted by a 36 per cent rise in the performance of its investment banking arm, which chipped in almost half the total. The investment bank made £1.44bn pre-tax profit. John McFarlane, who joined the bank as [...]
John ‘Mac the Knife’ McFarlane raises fears with investors that egos will rule the roost at Barclays July 29, 2015 Is there a bank director with a thicker hide than John McFarlane? The tone of yesterday’s interim results from Barclays, which comfortably beat City forecasts, would more ordinarily be accompanied by the praise of a chairman for their chief executive. Instead, the newly installed executive chairman, McFarlane, struggled to find reasons for burying him. The [...]
This chart shows how many current account switchers Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest have lost July 29, 2015 New rules which make it easier for customers to change current accounts resulted in a four per cent increase to 1.1m switches, compared to 1.06m during in same period a year earlier. The rules, introduced in October 2013, allow customers to switch accounts within seven working days, with all outgoing and incoming payments transferred automatically. [...]