WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 18, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Sants: City’s status under threat London’s position as a global financial centre is under threat because the UK financial sector is not rethinking its business models quickly enough in the face of a new political atmosphere and regulatory change, says Hector Sants, the departing chief executive of the FSA. Sants warned that banks, [...]
INDITEX BUYS FLAGSHIP ZARA STORE IN WEST END FOR £155M June 18, 2012 Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer, yesterday announced it has bought the flagship Zara store at the heart of London’s West End for £155m. The Spanish-listed group, which owns Zara, said it had bought the 7,000 square-metre property at the intersection of Oxford Street and New Bond Street from German fund manager Deka. Last year [...]
Business world wins praise in the honours list June 17, 2012 CARPHONE Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone was the sole business leader awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours for 2012, announced over the weekend, in a year that saw industry and economic leaders garner just 12 per cent of accolades, down more than a full percentage point from 2011. However, Sir John Parker, chairman of [...]
New banking regulation mustn’t be the medicine that killed the patient June 17, 2012 IN THE four years since the start of the financial crisis, we have walked a tightrope between enough and too much regulation; between the commendable aim of protecting consumers, markets and financial stability on the one hand, and the tendency of politicians, looking to voter concerns and media headlines, to be seen “to do something”. [...]
City welcomes Vickers changes June 14, 2012 THE CITY last night breathed a sigh of relief after getting a first look at the government’s proposed banking reforms, which amend the Vickers plan to strengthen the sector, taking into account international competition and the needs of banks’ business customers. The main aim is to allow bad banks to fail safely without harming other [...]
A tale of two high streets split by rents June 14, 2012 THE GAP between shop rents in the UK’s smartest and more modest locations is wider than ever and is likely to become more marked as leases come up for renewal, research exclusive to City A.M. shows. The number of shopping areas in London that have reached or exceeded rental levels seen at the height of [...]
Eurozone concerns and football bid war keep FTSE pinned back June 14, 2012 The FTSE 100 fell back in early trading, reversing the previous session’s gains, with Eurozone concerns dominating after Spain’s debt rating was downgraded and Italy faces up to a crucial bond auction. Last night credit ratings agency Moody’s slashed its rating on Spanish government debt by three notches to ‘Baa3’ from ‘A3’, saying the newly-approved [...]
Osborne eyes change of strategy to boost liquidity June 13, 2012 GEORGE Osborne is expected to use tonight’s Mansion House speech to reveal a new strategy aimed at boosting liquidity in the banking system. The chancellor’s attempt to ease the credit logjam comes as both companies and households continue to struggle to access finance. The move follows Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker’s acknowledgement on [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 13, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Banks bow to EU bonus limit Bankers’ bonuses across the European Union are set to be limited by law, with many bank lobbyists admitting in private that they have lost the fight against a European Parliament initiative to limit the size of bonuses relative to salary. Some banks still hope to increase the [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS June 13, 2012 Kleinwort Benson Clive Wright has been appointed head of private wealth management offshore at the private bank. He will report to Stephen Rothwell, head of private wealth management. Wright joined in January 2012 from Deutsche Bank, where he was head of its private wealth management division. Credit Agricole Xavier Musca has been appointed executive vice [...]