Inside Track: Pfizer flop puts Soriot in tight spot May 21, 2014 IF AT first you don't succeed, walk away and try again in six months: as City epithets go, it’s not exactly compelling. But it sums up where Pfizer finds itself at the end of this week, unexpectedly jilted after a quartet of knockbacks from Astrazeneca. The American drugmaker’s tactics were surprising. Its medicine cabinet was [...]
City Moves for 22 May 2014 | Who’s switching jobs May 21, 2014 Marsh The insurance company has appointed David Bramall as head of placement in its national corporate practice. He joined in 2008 as a casualty broker from Willis, where he was also a casualty broker. Lloyds Bank The bank has announced the appointment of Nigel Brady as a director for sterling financials trading in its commercial [...]
City Moves for 20 May 2014 | Who’s switching jobs May 19, 2014 IO The multi-let industrial estates management firm has announced the appointment of Oliver Bowditch to handle acquisitions. He joins from JLL, where he focused on providing valuation advice to banks, institutional investors and property companies. BDO The accountancy and business advisory firm has appointed Chris Bellairs as a partner in its financial services practice. He [...]
CNBC Comment: How Qatar became Europe’s power broker May 19, 2014 WHEN in distress, US banks call Warren Buffett. In Europe, banks have turned to Qatar. It may only be the size of Yorkshire, but Qatar’s swoop on Deutsche Bank confirms its role as Europe’s power broker, having struck similar deals with Barclays, Credit Suisse, Dexia, KBL and Greece’s Alpha Bank. Germany’s largest bank has announced [...]
ACCA Comment: Why post-crisis regulation has proved far from perfect May 14, 2014 Blunt tools must be replaced with more responsive solutions THERE is celebration in the air now that the UK has come out of recession strongly. However, is it too soon to get out the bunting? Yes, lessons have been learned from the financial crisis, and we are looking healthier as an economy. But there could [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 12 May 2014 May 11, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Fraud office steps up Barclays probe Bob Diamond, John Varley and other senior members of Barclays’ former management are set to be questioned under caution by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, in an acceleration of its probe into alleged corrupt arrangements in Qatar as part of the bank’s emergency cash call in 2008. [...]
Yellen: Low rates to stay as labour market still unsatisfactory May 7, 2014 Janet Yellen has today defended the US’s central bank’s accommodative policy, saying it still remains warranted – it’s not rushing to raise interest rates. Giving her testimony to Congress, this is Yellen’s first opportunity to speak following April’s improved jobs figures. Dismissing concerns over growth stangation in the first quarter – which, she said, were [...]
City Moves for 02 May 2014 | Who’s switching jobs May 1, 2014 Henderson The asset management firm has announced the appointment of James de Bunsen as co-manager of its value trust division. He joined in January 2013 as manager of the Henderson Multi-Manager Absolute Return fund from Armstrong Investment Managers. De Bunsen also previously spent five years at Insight Investment, where he was part of its UK retail [...]
Saga puts retail investor at heart of London float April 30, 2014 SAGA, the over-50s holidays-to-insurance provider, yesterday unveiled plans for the biggest flotation in London this year, as a stampede of silver haired savers registered to snap up shares in the listing. The business, which was founded by east end hotelier Sidney De Haan in 1950, said it would raise £550m in an initial public offering [...]
City Moves for 29 April 2014 | Who’s switching jobs April 28, 2014 Interactive Investor The execution-only stockbroker has announced the appointment of Linda Summers as chief marketing officer. She was most recently at Skype, where she was director of product and partner marketing. Prior to that, Summers held roles at O2/Telefonica and BT. GLG Partners The investment management firm has appointed Andy Li as co-manager of its [...]