BlackRock nears BGI deal June 8, 2009 US ASSET manager BlackRock, led by chief executive Larry Fink, is poised to wrap up a $13bn (£8bn) deal for Barclays Global Investors (BGI) as early as tomorrow, in a move that will create the world’s largest money manager. The cash-plus-equity deal, which looks set to go ahead despite interest from Bank of New York [...]
Disastrous for Labour, good for the Tories June 7, 2009 IT was a disastrous night for Labour, and an even worse one for Gordon Brown, now a lame duck prime minister who cannot even appoint the cabinet of his choice. But Labour’s crushing defeat – it got just 21.3 per cent of the vote in London, was beaten in Wales by the Tories for the [...]
Barclays eyes up a stake in BlackRock June 7, 2009 BARCLAYS was last night awaiting an offer from Bank of New York Mellon for Barclays Global Investors (BGI), as US firm BlackRock edged towards the brink of a cash-plus-equity deal for the asset management unit. Barclays and BlackRock are in talks over a deal that would see the bank merge BGI with BlackRock and take [...]
Deloitte on the touchline as Setanta heads for full-time June 7, 2009 STRUGGLING sports broadcaster Setanta could be forced to go into administration this week, as discussions with investors and rights holders have failed to secure a rescue deal. Accountancy firm Deloitte is on standby to flip the switch on the Irish broadcaster, which has been struggling for months to raise new capital to enable it to [...]
DEUTSCHE KEEPS ITS MAN June 7, 2009 DEUTSCHE Bank’s star performer Anshu Jain has pledged his loyalty to the bank, despite rumours of a summer move to either Citigroup or Barclays. Jain, who has also advised the government on the financial crisis, is believed to be Deutsche’s top earner and was recently elevated to the bank’s board. He was thought to have [...]
Royal Mail heads for clash with Labour June 7, 2009 ROYAL Mail increased pressure on the government to quickly pass a bill to part-privatise the postal operator, warning that closing final-salary pension schemes for 150,000 staff will be at the top of its “options list” if no deal takes place. The threat comes amid frustration that the political process to get the privatisation through Parliament [...]
Large cap index flat as lack of direction stalls progress June 4, 2009 Gains in energy stocks, pharmaceuticals and banks outweighed losses in miners yesterday, leaving the FTSE 100 0.1 per cent, or 3.52 points, higher at 4,386.94. “The market’s evenly balanced. It’s discounting good news so although it may go higher over the next few weeks, it is slightly overvalued,” said Graham Secker, equity strategist at Morgan [...]
Final salary schemes on the way out June 4, 2009 PENSIONS analysts sounded the death knell for final salary pension schemes yesterday, after supermarket chain WM Morrison became the third major company in a week to end its scheme. The retailer’s decision to bring the curtain down on the scheme follows similar moves by Barclays, which transferred 18,000 staff to a hybrid scheme and energy [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS June 4, 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopersJonathan Howe, a partner at the accountancy firm, has been appointed market leader of the UK insurance tax practice and a member of the UK insurance leadership team. Howe has 16 years of experience at PwC and will be leading a team of 10 insurance tax specialist partners and directors. He succeeds Anne Hamilton, who [...]
BA and Lloyds in pension row June 4, 2009 LLOYDS has been told by an increasingly irate staff union to issue a formal guarantee it will keep its final salary pension scheme open for existing members, ahead of its high-profile shareholder meeting today. This came as British Airways admitted last night all options remain open over its pension deficit, boosting fears it will close [...]