MPs take aim at regulators on Co-op Bank October 22, 2014 EX-CITY regulator the Financial Services Authority (FSA) should be probed as part of the investigation into the near-collapse of the Co-op Bank and the failed attempt to sell it TSB, MPs said in a report today. The Treasury Select Committee also wants the whole process of auditing banks to be investigated by the Financial Reporting Council, which [...]
City Moves for 10 October 2014 | Who’s switching jobs October 22, 2014 Innesco John Heawood has been appointed non-executive chairman of the marketing communications agency. Heawood is former group executive director for UK property at Segro, partner at DTZ Debenham Tie Leung and managing director of the Ashtenne Industrial Fund. KPMG The professional services firm has appointed Neill Thomas as head of corporate finance and Andrew Nicholson [...]
Lloyds’ Antonio Horta-Osorio has a dig at economists at Institute of Chartered Accountants event October 21, 2014 Antonio Horta-Osorio knows how to play an audience. At last night’s Institute of Chartered Accountants event at KPMG, the Lloyds boss charmed the accountants in the room… by throwing economists to the lions. “Sadly I’m not an accountant myself,” he started “But I’ve never let that hold me back! “To be fair though, it’s probably [...]
New West Ham stadium roof problems may have forced Balfour Beatty to seek more cash October 20, 2014 Problems with the new roof planned for the West Ham stadium may have led beleaguered construction company Balfour Beatty back to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to ask for extra cash. A spokesman for LLDC, which was established in 2012 by the Greater London Authority to regenerate the area in and around the Olympic [...]
Balfour Beatty’s new chief Leo Quinn is ready to turn the business around October 15, 2014 Balfour Beatty’s newly appointed chief executive Leo Quinn yesterday promised to put a stop to “surprises” at the troubled construction firm. “It’s a company of £10m turnover, with 40,000 employees worldwide, and its returns are far too low,” he told City A.M.. “The continuing surprises that it’s had should not be happening in a [...]
City Moves for 15 October 2014 | Who’s switching jobs October 14, 2014 Quinn Emanuel Boris Bronfentrinker has been appointed partner in the law firm’s London office. He joins from claimant competition litigation firm Hausfeld & Co, where he was a partner. Bronfentrinker has also previously worked in Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer’s competition practice. Capital Generation Partners Cliff Wood has been appointed head of reporting and investment analytics at [...]
How transparency and psychology can help us bridge the diversity gap October 14, 2014 BUSINESSES in the City have long been struggling to bridge the divide between the diversity we see in our clients and society and the make-up of our own staff. We need to change, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because the future prosperity of our businesses depends on it. At [...]
Enthusiastic UK shoppers boost growth hopes as spending on cards increases October 13, 2014 Shoppers are splashing out more in almost every area of spending, Barclaycard numbers showed yesterday, indicating there is more life yet in the economic recovery. Overall, spending on cards last month was 4.8 per cent higher than it was in September last year – the fastest annual increase since May 2013. Spending in restaurants jumped [...]
U2’s Bono backs Ireland over corporation tax: How does the UK compare? October 12, 2014 In an interview with the Observer, Bono, the lead singer of U2 defended Ireland's corporation tax approach, even as the war with the EU intensifies. Ireland's corporation tax, at 12.5 per cent, is one of the lowest rates going. Companies like Apple and Google have been quick to identify the benefits of operating out of the [...]
Balfour Beatty share price falls despite sale of Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospital stake October 2, 2014 Balfour Beatty’s £61.5m sale of its stake in Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospital will not be enough to buoy shareholder confidence following the firm’s profit warning on Monday, analysts have said. The company disposed of its 50 per cent interest in the public-private partnership (PPP) yesterday, selling to an HCIL subsidiary, and also announced three new [...]