FTSE falls to lowest level in a month on US jobless figures August 19, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index fell to its lowest close in a month yesterday, as weak US labour and other data cast further doubt on the strength of the global recovery and as oil stocks fell on lower crude prices. The FTSE 100 fell 91.58 points, or 1.7 per cent, to 5,211.29 points, the lowest close [...]
The doctor’s ticket to success August 19, 2010 FOR a business venture to get off the ground, it needs to fill a gap in the market. Robin Wells’ latest venture mytrainticket.co.uk has found more of a gulf than a gap. The serial entrepreneur/angel investor came across the business opportunity – a rail version of air travel ticket booking sites – 18 months ago. [...]
Westfield sees sales boost at its London mall August 18, 2010 MALL owner Westfield Group yesterday said sales at its London mall were up 17 per cent in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year. The mall, at Shepherd’s Bush, is on track to hit its target of £800m in takings this year after being boosted by tourist numbers, the [...]
Profits up at London Capital August 17, 2010 spread betting company London Capital Group, said first-half adjusted pre-tax profit rose 12 per cent yesterday, helped by strong spread betting performance, but cut its interim dividend by 60 per cent. “If the rest of the year follows the route of the first half, we would expect to be paying quite a substantial dividend at [...]
Koreans snap up French shopping mall August 17, 2010 SOUTH Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) said yesterday it would buy a 51 per cent stake in a French shopping mall from Anglo-French property investor Hammerson for around 350bn won (£189m). The deal is the latest addition to NPS’s growing investments in overseas property assets which include a $767m (£493m) purchase of Sony Center in [...]
Cameron takes stock after 100 days in power August 17, 2010 TONY Blair, who releases his memoirs next month, says his biggest regret was not doing enough during his early years in power. He wasted his first 100 days – and indeed much of his first term – basking in the glory of Labour’s landslide win. By the time he turned his attention to public service [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 16, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES TOUGH TARGETS FOR BENEFIT REFORMS The Treasury has required Iain Duncan Smith, work and pensions secretary, to find about £5 of savings for every £1 he spends to simplify the benefits system, setting tight financial conditions on dramatic reforms. The fiscal parameters mark an uneasy truce in a cabinet row that gives Mr [...]
Jewel thieves escape with £380,000 haul August 16, 2010 MASKED raiders escaped with £380,000 worth of jewellery and watches after a brazen smash and grab at a City arcade. A gang of four thieves wearing balaclavas smashed their way into luxury jeweller De Beers, in the Royal Exchange, with sledge hammers in a five-minute raid on Saturday night. They targeted diamonds before breaking into [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS August 12, 2010 Deloitte The accountancy firm has appointed Zahir Bokhari to lead its UK banking and capital markets audit business. Bokhari brings over 20 years of experience to the role, having provided audit, assurance and advisory services to numerous listed clients in the retail banking, inter-dealer brokers and capital markets sectors in his previous capacity as senior [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS August 11, 2010 Coutts The private bank has appointed Jeff Stubberfield as a commercial banker in its media banking team, looking after clients in the music, TV and entertainment business. Stubberfield has over 15 years of experience in financial services and joins from Barclays, where he spent eight years, latterly as a relationship director managing a portfolio of [...]