Solid earnings are only the beginning for banking stocks August 2, 2010 AFTER what has been a difficult few months, the European banking sector couldn’t have asked for a better start to a week that is jam-packed with their first-half earnings announcements. Both London-listed HSBC and Paris-quoted BNP Paribas posted better than expected profits and revealed that their bad debts have fallen sharply to pre-crisis levels. Traders [...]
THE TIPSTER August 2, 2010 HIGH street retail giant Next releases its latest trading statement tomorrow and the statement should give some insight into whether the company feels that the man on the street is more optimistic than he was six months ago or if concern about government cuts is still curbing our spending at the tills. Next had a [...]
EARNINGS SEASON | CALENDAR August 1, 2010 Monday 2 August Xchanging – UK Thomas Cook – UK Hammerson – UK Tullett Prebon – UK HSBC – UK Intertek – UK Mouchel – UK Qinetiq – UK Berkshire Hathaway – US Warner Music Group – US Linde – Germany BNP Paribas – France Air Liquide – France Tuesday 3 August ITV – UK [...]
Buy now to take advantage of the Olympic dream July 29, 2010 NEW data released by Lloyds TSB and the Land Registry this week revealed that since London won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic games, property prices in east London have climbed an average of 26 per cent. This compares to a 22 per cent rise across London with houses in the top-performing district, Homerton, [...]
Energy firms drag down the FTSE as BG fails to deliver July 28, 2010 Britain’s top shares fell yesterday, dragged lower by energy stocks after BG Group reported its quarterly results, and weak US data knocked sentiment. The FTSE 100 index closed down 45.99 points at 5,319.68, having gained almost 4.5 per cent over the last five days, and falling away from the psychologically important 5,400 level. “The near-term [...]
Apollo raises bid for Brit Insurance July 28, 2010 Brit Insurance has said Apollo Management had raised its takeover bid to £10.75p a share, valuing it at about £850m ($1.32bn), and that it has opened its books to the US buyout firm. The Lloyd’s of London insurer had rebuffed an improved takeover proposal of £10.50p per share earlier this month, up from Apollo’s original [...]
Greenpeace launches a London protest as closes almost 50 petrol stations July 27, 2010 GREENPEACE launched an attack on BP yesterday after shutting down 46 out of the group’s 50 petrol stations in central London. The environmental group said that it had sent more than 50 activists to shut off the power at petrol stations through out the capital in the early hours of yesterday morning to coincide with [...]
CITY VIEWS: DID TONY HAYWARD MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE? July 27, 2010 CHRIS HOPKINS | LLOYD’S OF LONDON “From a PR perspective, it was a smart move, especially putting an American at the top of running the show. Tony Hayward made one too many gaffes and shot himself in the foot. As a company you always want your head to be more of a political figure.” RAFIQUE [...]
The ex-Goldman man bringing his banking skills to the Olympics July 26, 2010 AS far as many people are concerned, ex-Goldman Sachs banker Paul Deighton has quite possibly the best job in the world. Today he’s precisely two years away from organising the most prestigious sporting event in the history of mankind, the Olympic Games. And so far it’s going swimmingly well, he says. And he’s still in [...]
KILLING KITTENS ORGY ORGANISER WHIPS HER BUSINESS UP A NOTCH July 26, 2010 THOSE Londoners with a persistent naughty streak have probably heard of Emma Sayle, the founder of sex party organising firm Killing Kittens. Up until now, Killing Kittens has specialised in what Sayle likes to describe as “eyes wide shut orgies”, with club members – vetted for attractiveness – gathering in private townhouses to get to [...]