FTSE100 ends its best ever quarter with profit taking September 30, 2009 THE top share index closed lower yesterday with energy stocks, banks and miners among the biggest laggards on the last session of a record quarter. The FTSE 100 closed down 25.82 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,133.90 as investors locked in profits after the index put in its best quarterly performance since it was [...]
ROLET BRINGS IN THE BANKING BIG HITTERS TO EYE UP M&A TARGETS September 30, 2009 MUCHOS excitement on the markets yesterday after Xavier Rolet continued in his quest to stamp his mark on the London Stock Exchange by axing its long-standing M&A advisers. Rolet has made no secret of his ambitious plans for the exchange, which he hopes to turn into a £10bn business via a number of strategic acquisitions [...]
Bid battle set to hike rents September 29, 2009 A BIDDING war has broken out between Australian bank Macquarie and fund manager Blackrock for new City development Drapers Gardens in a move experts predict will hike prices across the City. Both firms are on the hunt for a 250,000 sq ft office to re-house staff. But following a number of stalled construction projects in the [...]
Barclays buys Citi unit September 29, 2009 Barclays yesterday announced that it had reached agreement with Wall Street bank Citigroup to buy the US firm’s Portuguese credit card business, as it prepares for a Western European spending spree. The transaction, believed to be worth around £50m, will see Barclays take on around 400,000 credit card accounts, with gross assets of approximately €644m [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 29, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed marginally lower yesterday as buoyant financials struggled against disappointing US data, falls from miners and Vodafone. The index closed 5.98 points, or 0.1 per cent, lower at 5,159.72, after a choppy day of trading, having ended Monday’s session 1.6 per cent firmer. Miners were among the biggest laggards, with investors plagued [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 28, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading stock index closed 1.6 per cent higher yesterday, with heavyweight banks, miners and energy stocks reversing early losses, helped by a strong opening for the US market. The FTSE 100 rose 83.5 points, or 1.6 per cent, to close at 5,165.70, after rising 0.1 per cent on Friday. “It wasn’t until the US [...]
Barclays eyes Standard Life Bank division September 28, 2009 BARCLAYS is eyeing a bid for the banking operations of insurance titan Standard Life, sources close to the situation said yesterday. The insurer is understood to have put its Standard Life Bank unit up for sale at a price of between £200m and £300m and people familiar with Barclays’ plans said that the business would [...]
Burford Capital plans listing to raise 200m to fund legal cases September 28, 2009 COMMERCIAL dispute financier Burford Capital yesterday said it plans to float on London’s Aim market by placing shares worth up to £200m. The investment company, registered in Guernsey, is headed by Sir Peter Middleton, the former Treasury official and chairman of Barclays. Dealings are expected to take place on or around 16 October the company [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 28, 2009 HSBC Private BankThe bank has appointed Chris Allen, currently head of real estates at HSBC Alternative Investments Limited (HAIL), as managing director and head of the HAIL division. Prior to joining HSBC in 2007, Allen spent ten years at real estate services company Colliers International, latterly as an executive director in its investment division, before [...]
Barclays to begin spending spree by buying Portugese credit card business September 27, 2009 BARCLAYS is close to agreeing a deal to buy Citigroup’s credit card business in Portugal. The deal is expected to be announced early this week, and is not thought to exceed £60m. Britain’s second largest bank is looking to complete a string of purchases throughout Europe at the same time as Citigroup is seeking to [...]