Strong miners give FTSE a boost May 26, 2011 STRENGTH in heavyweight mining stocks helped Britain’s top share index edge higher yesterday, countering slippage by banks on Eurozone debt concerns. At the close, the FTSE 100 was up 10.9 points, or 0.2 per cent at 5,880.99, well below a morning spike above the psychologically important 5,900 level to 5,910.77. “The overall impression … is [...]
Esure founder meets banks to discuss a float May 25, 2011 PETER Wood, chairman of UK motor insurer Esure, has been meeting investment banks to discuss its path to a stock market flotation, the company confirmed yesterday. Wood, an insurance industry sage who founded Direct Line in 1985 and Esure in 2000, has met bankers for very early stage talks over listing it on the London [...]
Banks bolster FTSE at the close May 25, 2011 London stocks struggled to gain ground today as poor economic data on both sides of the Atlantic dismayed investors. A rally led by banking stocks late in the afternoon helped push the FTSE back into the black, with the FTSE 100 just 0.2 per cent higher at 5,870.14 at the close. Miners made muted gains [...]
Miners buoy FTSE but ratings threat casts shadow May 24, 2011 Mining stocks put the FTSE 100 on the front foot in early trading as metal prices rose – boosted by Goldman Sachs recommending investors to buy into commodities. Commodities trader Glencore made its full market debt and rose slightly from its price on the so-call grey market, but remained below the 530p offer price of [...]
FTSE hit by China growth fears and eurozone crisis May 23, 2011 Commodity stocks took a hammering in early trading today as miners and energy related groups suffered from uncertainty in the global economy. The eurozone debt crisis continued to cast a shadow after Italy’s credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor’s from stable to negative. Chinese manufacturing data from HSBC showing a ten-month low also [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 22, 2011 AMEC The international engineering and project management group has appointed Deloitte’s John Connolly as its new chairman, to succeed Jock Green-Armytage. Connelly will retire from his current role as chief executive of Deloitte UK and global chairman of Deloitte Touche Tohamatsu on 31 May and will join the Amex board on 1 June. Connelly is [...]
RAINMAKING WON’T STOP PLAY AT CITY’S CHELSEA POWER SHOW May 22, 2011 TONIGHT the worlds of high finance and horticulture will collide at the most popular fixture in the City year: the Chelsea Flower Show charity gala. BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch was spotted eyeing up garden sheds at last year’s Chelsea preview, while Topshop boss Sir Philip Green – known in the City as “PG” – [...]
Coe pleads with protesters not to spoil Olympic Torch’s relay route May 18, 2011 THE OLYMPIC Torch will undertake an 8,000 mile journey in the relay preceding the London Games with organisers calling on protest groups not to disrupt its passage after announcing the route yesterday. The Olympic Flame will arrive from Greece on 18 May next year and the relay will commence in Land’s End and continue for [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 17, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES FED SEEKS ANNUAL US BANK STRESS TESTS The Federal Reserve wants to subject US banks to annual capital tests, reserving the right to veto dividend pay-outs if they do not pass. A draft of the new rule is set to be approved by the Federal Reserve Board and put out for public comment [...]
Chief of Lloyd’s warns insurers to raise rates or risk collapse May 17, 2011 ANY further major catastrophe will have a dramatic effect on the insurance industry, the head of the Lloyd’s of London market said yesterday. A run of serious natural disasters since the start of the year, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, have depleted insurers’ reserves and another large event could eat into their capital [...]