Diamond says banks should stop saying sorry January 11, 2011 BARCLAYS’ Bob Diamond has told Parliament he believes banks should stop apologising for mistakes made during the financial crisis. In a crammed room, which spectators had to queue to enter, Barclays’ incoming chief executive refused to commit to again waiving his bonus – and said Barclays would not quit London even if the bank was [...]
FTSE 100 bounce back led by banks January 11, 2011 The FTSE 100 lifted in early trading today as banking stocks led the way. The recovery came after a poor session yesterday with the euro zone debt crisis casting a shadow over European markets. Citigroup upgraded HSBC to “buy” from “hold”, fuelling more confidence in the banking sector. Barclays also climbed as the London Stock [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 9, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES GOLDMAN TEAM RAISES MONEY FOR NEW FUND The last big proprietary trading team at Goldman Sachs has begun raising money to start a new hedge fund independent of the bank, for launch in the second quarter of this year. The team – led by two senior members of Goldman Sachs’ Principal Strategies desk, [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 9, 2011 Wm Morrison The supermarket giant has appointed Belinda Youngs to the role of own brand director, as part of four new additions to its senior management team. Youngs joins from Canadian food retailer Sobeys, where she was chief marketing officer, and is tasked with developing Morrisons’ own brand into a market leader. She is joined by [...]
Online sales boost for House of Fraser January 9, 2011 UK department store House of Fraser saw same store sales jump 8.5 per cent in the five weeks to 8 January, reinforcing the success of multi-brand retailers over the Christmas period. It follows similar results last week from the John Lewis Partnership, which saw sales up 8.9 per cent compared to last year. But House [...]
Theo Fennell hit by travel chaos January 6, 2011 AFFLUENT overseas shoppers were cut off from London by travel chaos, jeweller Theo Fennell said as it warned on profits yesterday. Fennell saw like-for-like sales drop seven per cent in December. Sales on expensive pieces suffered as international customers stayed away, the firm said. “The adverse weather conditions significantly reduced footfall to the stores from [...]
US uncertainty takes toll on FTSE despite blue chip gains January 6, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index was pushed down to close lower yesterday, after uncertainty on the outlook for the US economy from weak retail sales and jobs data dented commodity prices and hit mining and energy stocks. Gains in retailer Marks & Spencer, British Airways and technology firm ARM Holdings ensured losses were relatively muted, however. [...]
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: LORD FORSYTH REACHES THE SUMMIT January 5, 2011 FOLLOWING The Capitalist’s update on Tuesday regarding the progress of the eminent Lord Forsyth, he wrote yesterday with a triumphant missive and picture: He has at last reached the top of Antarctica’s highest mountain and had just enough energy left to take a few snaps of himself brandishing an ice pick atop the summit. The [...]
FTSE 100 rebounds as banks rally and miners pare losses January 5, 2011 BRITAIN’S top shares rallied yesterday after employment data from the US showed the economic recovery was picking up steam, which helped miners and oil stocks pare losses and banks rally. The FTSE 100 closed up 29.99 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 6,043.86, bouncing off a session low of 5,964.43. Miners pared losses and oil [...]
Fewer closures in 2010 but many firms are still walking an economic tightrope January 5, 2011 FAR fewer struggling UK companies fell into administration in 2010 compared with 2009, Deloitte research showed yesterday. Insolvencies fell by 35 per cent, or by 1,102 companies last year, to 2,086 in 2010 from 3,188 in 2009, analysis of notices in the London Gazette over the year showed. Policymakers have worked to keep the business [...]