GREEN GEARS UP FOR XMAS November 11, 2009 BILLIONAIRE Sir Philip Green yesterday helped to launch a shopping initiative in London’s West End, ahead of the key Christmas trading period. The Top Shop-to-Bhs entrepreneur was promoting a traffic free day on 5 December to help lure shoppers to Oxford Street and Regent Street. Last year the event generated £150m of sales for West [...]
UK COVERED WARRANTS SURE TO GROW November 11, 2009 ALEXANDRE HOUPERTHEAD OF LISTED PRODUCTS UK, SG CORPORATE & INVESTMENT BANKING WHILE covered warrants might seem like a relatively new means of trading the markets to UK investors, this month marks their 20th birthday in continental Europe, where they are now a well developed market widely recognised by the private investor. And Société Générale not [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS November 9, 2009 SVG Investment ManagersAdam Steiner has been promoted to chief executive of the investment management firm from his previous position as head of research. Steiner replaces Tony Dalwood, who formerly co-founded the firm’s public equities team with him in 2002 and has now been appointed as chief executive of SVG Advisers and chairman of the SVG [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPER SAY THIS MORNING November 8, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphBAE HIRES PINOCHET LAWYER FOR SFO FIGHTBAE Systems has instructed General Pinochet’s former QC to handle its defence if the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is successful in persuading the Attorney General to proceed with a fraud prosecution against the arms manufacturer. GOVERNMENT PLANS FAST-TRACK NUCLEAR EXPANSIONThe government is set to hand an [...]
Tourists will fill West End November 8, 2009 CENTRAL London shops expect to receive a glut of foreign customers this winter, enticed to the capital by the current weakness of the pound. The New West End Company, which represents retailers in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, is expecting a 5-10 per cent year-on-year increase in foreign shoppers over the festive period. [...]
US retail chains look to get a foothold in the British market November 8, 2009 VICTORIA’S Secret is crossing the Atlantic as part of a wave of US companies looking to establish a foothold in the UK and Europe. The US lingerie retailer is owned by Limited Brands, which has announced plans for international expansion. It follows news that Gap-owned Banana Republic, the smart-casual clothing chain which already has a [...]
The City lawyer who argues that banking has become even riskier November 4, 2009 T o David Morley, the phrase “it is better to travel than to arrive” must sound pretty strange, an expression invented only for those unfortunate souls who have not learnt to move at speed. For Morley, who joined top law firm Allen & Overy in 1980 and has led it as senior partner since last [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS November 4, 2009 EvolutionThe financial services group has appointed Christopher Chambers as a non-executive director, effective immediately.Chambers, 48, was previously chief executive of Man Investments and an executive director of Man Group until 2005, co-head of European equity capital markets at Credit Suisse First Boston and director of equity capital markets and corporate broking at BZW. LaSalle The [...]
THE LONDON REPORT November 4, 2009 LONDON’S leading shares ended 1.4 per cent higher yesterday, boosted by a rebound from miners and banks, with retailers Next and Marks & Spencer also higher after posting forecast-beating figures. At the close, the FTSE 100 was up 70.68 points at 5,107.89, recouping all of Tuesday’s losses when the index fell 1.3 per cent to [...]
Turner warns break-ups to hit stability November 2, 2009 THE forced break up of the “too big to fail” banks into retail and casino institutions would actually increase instability in the financial sector and worsen the economic impact of future banking crises, the City watchdog warned yesterday. Lord Adair Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), said proposals to separate traditional banking operations [...]