GET QUALIFIED FINANCIAL RISK MANAGER (FRM) May 13, 2009 For those wanting to get ahead in the risk management sector, acquiring a professional qualification can be a key factor. Bodies including the Association of Insurance and Risk Managers (AIRMIC), the Institute of Risk Managers (IRM) and the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) run training qualifications for risk managers. GARP’s Financial Risk Manager (FRM) [...]
London’s gloomy firms September 1, 2008 London businesses are among the most pessimistic nationwide when considering their prospects for the coming year, reveals a survey published today by the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales (ICAEW). According to the latest UK business confidence monitor, London is the third most negative region with confidence standing at a “record low” of [...]
Allianz sells Dresdner in £8bn deal September 1, 2008 German insurance giant Allianz last night agreed to sell its beleaguered banking arm Dresdner to rival Commerzbank in a deal worth €9.8bn (£7.9bn) – a tie up that will lead to at least 1,000 job losses in the City. In what will be the biggest German banking merger in nearly a decade, Commerzbank will buy [...]
Price website offers half of future profits August 28, 2008 Moneysupermarket.com, the price comparison website, will increase its dividend payout ratio to 50 per cent of all future profits. The bold move was revealed yesterday alongside interim results, and was welcomed by shareholders in the firm, who saw their investment dramatically decrease because of last year’s flotation. The interim dividend is held at 1.3p per [...]
FDIC predicts more trouble for US banks August 27, 2008 The US banking sector saw its profits nosedive by 86 per cent in the second quarter as the number of banks in crisis reached new heights, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said yesterday. Ongoing deterioration in the housing and credit markets saw federally-insured banks earn just $5bn (£2.5bn) in the second quarter, compared with $36.8bn [...]
Axa avoids worst of the fallout August 8, 2008 Axa, Europe’s second-biggest insurer, reported lower first-half net profit yesterday although its earnings still managed to beat analyst expectations. Net profit fell 32 per cent to €2.16bn (£1.7bn) partly due to write downs on fixed income assets. The French insurer revealed a €237m impact on asset backed securities and a €502m hit on fixed income [...]
BNP Paribas tops market and outperforms rivals August 7, 2008 BNP Paribas the French banking giant, reported a 34 per cent fall in second-quarter net profits as it beat expectations to outperform some of its closest rivals, sending shares up by as much as 6.3 per cent. France’s largest listed bank reported a net profit of €1.51bn (£1.18bn) for the quarter, down from €2.28bn, as [...]
Rio loses key mine rights August 5, 2008 Bid target Rio Tinto has lost control of one of its most important iron-ore projects that could generate annual sales of more than $10bn (£5bn), it was revealed yesterday. The Government of Guinea has told Rio that its licence to mine Simandou, one of the world’s largest undeveloped iron-ore deposits, has been rescinded. The company’s [...]
Banks set for worst results in City history August 4, 2008 Markets brace for a raft of bad news from HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and others HSBC will today kick off another disappointing week of banking results as the credit crunch continues to wreak havoc in the City. HSBC is forecast to reveal $2bn-$3bn (£1bn-£1.5bn) of credit market provisions in its global markets business. Europe’s [...]
Lloyds TSB profit decline rocks the City July 31, 2008 Lloyds TSB shocked the City yesterday as it raised its dividend 2 per cent to 11.4p, despite posting a 70 per cent slump in profits. Pre-tax profits at the high street bank dipped to £599m, compared to £1.99bn last year, reflecting the impact of £585m of write-downs from the bank’s insurance business. And the bank’s [...]