Nationwide in profit surge May 25, 2011 Nationwide, the country’s biggest customer-owned financial services group, posted higher underlying profits on Wednesday, helped by lower bad debt charges, and said it was well-placed for future growth. Nationwide said its underlying profits had risen 30 per cent from last year to £276m, and that charges for loans that have gone sour fell 35 per [...]
Moody’s puts 14 UK banks on negative rating outlook May 24, 2011 MOODY’S has put 14 of the UK’s biggest banks on review for a ratings downgrade due to regulatory efforts to resolve the “too big to fail” problem. The move could significantly increase borrowing costs for banks as regulators draw up plans to reduce the likelihood that taxpayers will have to bail out failing banks in [...]
GLENCORE BOSS’S BRIEF ENCOUNTER AT CHELSEA May 24, 2011 IT WAS unseasonably cold at the preview of this week’s Chelsea Flower Show – so the Queen, mindful of her constitution, didn’t stop to admire every single show garden. However, she did manage to drop in on the Royal Bank of Canada’s New Wild Garden, designed by Nigel Dunnett of The Landscape Agency, where Lynn [...]
FTSE rebounds but Wall St fall goes on May 24, 2011 UK stocks rebounded today as miners regained ground after grim falls yesterday, though final gains were small. The FTSE 100 ended the session 0.4 per cent higher at 5,858.41 but recorded a high of 5,884.66 in the day’s trading as investor confidence returned. Bargain hunters moved in on miners, which recovered along with metals prices [...]
Miners buoy FTSE but ratings threat casts shadow May 24, 2011 Mining stocks put the FTSE 100 on the front foot in early trading as metal prices rose – boosted by Goldman Sachs recommending investors to buy into commodities. Commodities trader Glencore made its full market debt and rose slightly from its price on the so-call grey market, but remained below the 530p offer price of [...]
Don’t blame banks for low demand May 23, 2011 VINCE Cable was grand-standing on his favourite topic yesterday: the ills of British banks. But there was more sound than sense in his warning that lenders had better “meet the commitments they agreed” – or else. That’s because the five Merlin banks have so far done exactly as promised. They have collectively set aside £190bn [...]
BANKS’ LENDING AGREEMENTS May 23, 2011 Q. WHAT DID THE BANKS COMMIT TO? A. Under the terms of “project Merlin”, a deal with the Treasury aimed at reviving lenders’ image, five banks – RBS, Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays and Santander UK – agreed to make £190bn in credit available to businesses this year, versus £179bn in 2010. They earmarked £76bn of this [...]
Broughton bid of £230m puts him in the lead May 23, 2011 SIR Martin Broughton, the deputy chairman of airline IAG, yesterday pulled further ahead in the race to buy the Tote, after it emerged his bid values the state-owned betting pool at £230m. The development puts further distance between his offer and the £200m- valued bid being wagered by high street bookmaker Betfred. Sir Martin’s Sports [...]
The changing of the guard at Goldman Sachs May 23, 2011 A changing of the guard at Goldman’s UK investment banking division is always closely watched and so it is that there is much discussion about the two thirtysomethings that have been put in charge of UK investment banking. The recent departure of Julian Metherell, the former head, who is going to start an investment firm [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 23, 2011 Agent Provocateur Retail veteran Chris Woodhouse has been appointed as non-executive chairman of luxury retailer Agent Provocateur. Woodhouse, director of Debenhams and chairman of restaurant group Gondola, which owns Pizza Express and ASK, will take a small stake in the lingerie business, which he will oversee alongside his existing role. Agent Provocateur, owned by private [...]