Hugh Osmond returning to the market January 24, 2010 THE founder of pub chain Punch Taverns is returning to the market to raise up to £500m for an investment vehicle aimed at buying distressed companies and funds. Hugh Osmond, who also floated Pizza Express, is joining other City heavyweights to launch Horizon, which will try to raise the cash via a public offering on [...]
Drugmakers give FTSE a lift as investors bet on healthcare January 19, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index ended up 0.3 per cent yesterday, led by pharmaceuticals on hopes that US President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms could be hampered, while banks fell after results from US bank Citigroup. The FTSE 100 index rose 18.75 points to 5,513.14, extending Monday’s gains when the market rose 0.7 per cent. Pharmaceuticals echoed [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 17, 2010 Charles Stanley The City stockbroking firm has appointed Andrew Atkins as head of new fund sales and distribution. Atkins joins from Lloyd George Asset Management and will be in charge of distributing the firm’s entire fund range, including the new value boutique Matterley, acquired by Charles Stanley last year. In his new role, he will [...]
MANDY UNLEASHES HIS SHARP WIT AT BUSINESS FOR EUROPE DEBATE January 14, 2010 IT’S good to know that it’s not only opposition politicians who are subjected to the sting of Lord Mandelson’s acerbic tongue, but members of his own party as well. Mandy was yesterday morning in attendance at City superspinner Roland Rudd’s Business for New Europe event at the grand Victoria Embankment headquarters of investment bank JP [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 14, 2010 Cazenove Capital The asset management firm has appointed Louis Greening as a desk-based UK advisory sales consultant. Greening joins from Skandia, where he has worked in the London-based sales team for the past two years. Prior to that, he was at Friends Provident. In his new role, he will be responsible for building new relationships [...]
Pay schemes win marks for Lloyds names January 13, 2010 LLOYDS of London insurers Amlin and Hiscox get top marks for running pay schemes that attract and retain good staff, while transparently linking incentives to performance. A report by Collins Stewart found that Hiscox and above all Amlin lead the industry on pay and performance. Beazley was described as “work in progress,” Hardy and Novae [...]
Sell-off in bank and mining shares rocks the FTSE 100 January 13, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index shed 0.5 per cent yesterday as weakness in commodity and banking issues countered gains in selected defensive stocks, reflecting fading risk appetite among some investors. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 25.23 points lower at 5,473.48, having lost 0.7 per cent on Tuesday following China’s decision to tighten banks’ reserve [...]
Abbey takes Spanish brand January 11, 2010 SPANISH banking giant Santander yesterday signalled that it would join the growing ranks of buyers circling the branches being sold off by Northern Rock, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Chairman Emilio Botín yesterday said that the bank would “take advantage of opportunities” in the UK. Branches up for sale include more than 300 from [...]
Strength in energy issues is offset by weakness in miners January 11, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index ended flat yesterday with strength in energy issues countering a sell-off in miners, weak financial issues and uncertain progress on Wall Street. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was up 3.83 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 5,538.07, having touched a 16-month intraday peak of 5,600.48 early in the session. [...]
CITY EYE January 11, 2010 Inside the Lloyds of London “Inside-Out” Building things are looking up,with a dizzying view of the atrium