Time running out for Merlin February 6, 2011 THE Treasury is anxious to get banks to agree to an industry-wide lending commitment under “Project Merlin” before earnings season starts. But time is running out for the initiative to improve the industry’s image. Barclays will kick off the major UK banks’ full-year results season next Tuesday, with its new chief executive Bob Diamond expected to receive [...]
Barclays joins £115m Daisy loan syndicate February 6, 2011 BUSINESS telecoms group Daisy has secured an additional £40m credit facility to help fund further acquisitions, the firm will announce today. AIM-listed Daisy has brought in Barclays as the fourth lender in its syndicate, which also includes Lloyds TSB, Yorkshire Bank and HSBC. Daisy now has access to £115m through the credit facility. Chief financial [...]
Rexam may sell beverages arm February 6, 2011 BRITISH can maker Rexam has appointed Barclays Capital to sell its beverage and specialties arm in a deal that could be worth £200m. Final bids for the business, which makes lids for drink and food containers, are expected this week. A Rexam spokesman said that the company was considering options for the unit. Shares in [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS February 6, 2011 BG GROUP Deutsche Bank rates the oil explorer “buy” with a target price of £13.34. The broker expects BG to report upstream production growth when it brings out fourth quarter results tomorrow, with a predicted 12 per cent rise in profit for the division. DB also forecasts stellar reserves growth given recent finds in Tanzania [...]
Di Matteo stunned at his sacking February 6, 2011 ROBERTO DI MATTEO admitted he was “surprised and disappointed” after being sacked by West Bromwich Albion. The former Chelsea midfielder was placed on gardening leave yesterday with the Baggies outside the relegation zone on goal difference. A statement released by Di Matteo through the League Manager’s Association read: “I was extremely surprised and disappointed to be relieved of [...]
Winning the icy chukkas – the bank that hosts a snow-polo tournament February 6, 2011 THE game of polo is one of the oldest sports in the world. Originating in ancient Persia, it is thought to have begun as a way of training elite cavalry troops. It was brought back to Europe in the 19th century through the Calcutta Polo Club, established by two British officers in India who formalised [...]
Forget gold, here’s the copper rush February 6, 2011 CRACK open your piggy bank and empty your penny jar. Do it now and do it fast. Forget about the gold rush; it is all about the copper rush now. The price of the metal is going through the roof, hitting $10,000 a tonne. This sort of price action means the two pence piece in [...]
Barclay banks on special attention February 3, 2011 SCOTLAND openside John Barclay is looking forward to putting his reputation as one of the best back-row forwards in the game on the line against France in Paris tomorrow. The RBS 6 Nations holders boast a talented pack including skipper Thierry Dusautoir, Julien Bonnaire and Imanol Harinordoquy, and Barclay knows he’ll be singled out for [...]
American unemloyment claims fall February 3, 2011 US jobless claims fell to 415,000 in the week ending 29 January, it was revealed yesterday. The number of unemployed benefit claimants had increased the previous week due to heavy snow in four states, according to Barclays Capital. And separate data showed a 0.2 per cent rise in US factory orders for December. “This was [...]
Swiss lead on private banking February 3, 2011 SWISS banks are still a firm favourite for wealth managers the world over, according to a leading survey. A review by investment magazine Euromoney placed Credit Suisse as the world’s top provider of private banking services, putting the Swiss lender first for the second year running. The bank knocked Swiss rival UBS off the top [...]