FTSE 100 up on ECB meeting hopes September 6, 2012 The blue chip index was up in morning trading, as markets were dominated by speculation over European Central Bank policy action at the monthly meeting later today. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee minutes will also be released today, at 12 noon. Miners led the index up, as Lonmin was an early riser, adding [...]
Lloyds ploughs £20m into new restaurant fund September 3, 2012 LLOYDS Banking Group’s private equity arm said yesterday it has agreed to provide £20m for a new restaurant fund set up by the former boss of The Clapham House Group. Paul Campbell is setting up the fund through his vehicle Hill Capital in partnership with LDC to invest in restaurant businesses with a small number [...]
Restaurants aim high by moving into the Shard August 28, 2012 RESTAURATEURS behind the trendy Japanese restaurant chains Zuma and Roka and Hong Kong’s Aqua Restaurant Group have agreed to lease the entire restaurant space at Europe’s tallest building. Sellar Property, the developer behind the Shard, revealed yesterday that Zuma duo Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney are to open a rotisserie and grill as well as [...]
David Lloyd launches high street gym chain August 27, 2012 David Lloyd Leisure, the tennis-based health and fitness club group, said yesterday it plans to launch a chain of smaller studios on British high streets to target busy workers looking for more flexible workout regimes. The group, controlled by London & Regional and Caird Capital, said it will invest £500,000 in opening three trial sites, [...]
KPMG cuts own staff after warning bankers of job losses August 23, 2012 Professional services group KPMG warned just yesterday that bankers faced more job losses and pay cuts unless the economy improved. A day later and the firm was back in touch, announcing that there are going to be cuts in its own UK headcount of around 11,300 people. Yesterday the firm said it was carrying out [...]
Amlin bounces back thanks to fewer disasters August 20, 2012 INSURER Amlin yesterday reported stronger than expected profits after the firm enjoyed six months without any major catastrophes. The Lloyd’s of London firm reported first half pre-tax profits of £184.5m against a loss of £192.3m for the same period last year. “This is a welcome return to profit and the strength of our underwriting result [...]
FTSE 100 flat despite Lonmin losses August 20, 2012 Britain’s leading share index opened flat this morning, despite widening losses in mining shares, tracking a decline in the price of copper. Beleaguered platinum producer Lonmin continued another day of losses, with the shares down more than 3.5 per cent. The mining company today issued an ultimatum to the striking workers. Defence group Chemring was [...]
FTSE 100 flat despite Lonmin losses August 20, 2012 Britain’s leading share index opened flat this morning, despite widening losses in mining shares, tracking a decline in the price of copper. Beleaguered platinum producer Lonmin continued another day of losses, with the shares down more than 3.5 per cent. The mining company today issued an ultimatum to the striking workers. Defence group Chemring was [...]
London defies national slump August 12, 2012 A RESURGENT London bucked a national downward trend in business activity during July, says a survey released by Lloyds today. London hit a two-month high of 53.3 on the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey of business activity for July, well up on June’s 51.6. But the country as a whole collapsed to a 39-month low [...]
Women in the City are more than just voices for caution August 12, 2012 IT WAS once famously said that “whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.” While I tend not to subscribe to clichés, when I started in the City in the late 1990s, the dearth of senior women suggested something was awry. Just 15 years later, we [...]