It is the perfect time to get your pension affairs sorted January 7, 2013 INVESTMENT COMMENT MAY I suggest a New Year’s resolution? Spend some time thinking about whether you should top up your pension pot. It does not have to take long, and there are a number of good reasons why it is important to act sooner rather than later. One is that chancellor George Osborne announced changes [...]
Rapid responses January 6, 2013 Export revolution [Re: We need an export-led revolution to save the UK economy, Friday] Exporting is a key area where the UK should be doing better. An “export-led revolution” should focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are not keeping up with the pace of our overseas competitors. Currently, only 20 per cent of [...]
Ex-Treasury minister Sassoon steps into a top role at Jardine January 3, 2013 FORMER Treasury minister Lord Sassoon has re-entered the private sector by taking a senior job at Asia-focused conglomerate Jardine Matheson. Sassoon will take up his new executive role, based in London, on 14 January. He is also being lined up to take board seats on the firm’s other listed companies, which include insurance group Jardine [...]
Sun European takes a shine to packaging January 2, 2013 SUN EUROPEAN Partners has snapped up two packaging companies including Lincolnshire-based Paragon Print & Packaging in a £400m spending spree. Sun European, an arm of US private equity firm Sun Capital, yesterday said it had bought a 49 per cent stake in Paragon from Equistone and LDC for an undisclosed sum. Sun European also completed [...]
Ex-KPMG retail head takes up BRC leadership January 1, 2013 THE British Retail Consortium, the retail lobby group, yesterday handed over its leadership to a new director general amid increasing turmoil on the high street. Helen Dickinson, a former KPMG retail consultant, officially took up the post, replacing former director general Stephen Robertson, who stepped down last month after five years at the helm. Dickinson, [...]
Gloomy start to Christmas as shoppers look out for bargains December 20, 2012 RETAIL sales are barely kept pace with inflation last month, according to official figures out yesterday, with squeezed consumers waiting for discounts rather than splashing out for Christmas. The quantity of goods bought in November rose 0.9 per cent on the year, while the amount spent increased 1.5 per cent, showing a small rise, the [...]
CITYA.M. Guide to givers 2012 December 20, 2012 Welcome to City A.M’s second annual Guide to Givers, bringing to the limelight business individuals and organisations that have donated not just their resources, but also their time and effort towards improvements for those less fortunate than themselves. As belts are being tightened, public charitable spending is understandably at a significant low point, putting emphasis [...]
Who’s switching jobs December 18, 2012 Adveq The asset management firm has promoted Sanjay Gupta to executive director. He joined in 2008 as a senior associate in its investment management team, and he is currently head of the Adveq Opportunity programme and leads its US buyout and turnaround investment activity. State Street Global Advisors The asset management division of State Street [...]
Chrismukkah in Canary Wharf: Final menorah candles light up December 17, 2012 IN addition to the Christmas lights shining around Canary Wharf, a 15ft high menorah has been installed in the gardens of Jubilee Park. To commemorate the Jewish festival of Chanukah, the candles were lit in special lighting ceremonies, sponsored by KPMG and Citi, over eight days last week. This is the 14th time Canary Wharf [...]
KPMG UK profits decline as growth disappoints December 17, 2012 BIG four auditor KPMG witnessed a 13 per cent slump in profits last year after budgeting for a surge in economic growth that failed to materialise, results out today show. The professional services firm was forced to slash 275 senior jobs over the summer to shore up its bottom line, after it became apparent its [...]