Sberbank to beat market expectations June 7, 2010 SBERBANK, Russia’s top lender, said it may revise its conservative full-year forecast at the end of this quarter after beating market estimates with an all-time high profit in the first quarter. The state-run bank so far has estimated it will have a net profit of 100 billion roubles for the whole of 2010. “There will [...]
Glencore eyes sale or IPO of its gold mines June 7, 2010 COMMODITIES trader and miner Glencore is thought to be considering putting its gold mines on the market as gold prices remain robust while other metals prices tumble. One option is understood to be for the Glencore, the world’s biggest commodity trader, to list the assets which mainly consist of the largest gold mine in Kazakhstan, [...]
I confess: I was far too optimistic about debt June 6, 2010 I am feeling a little gloomy. I started this sovereign debt crisis looking on the bright side but now I have been got at. So many of our guests at CNBC are downbeat right now that the downdraft has been hard to dodge. Markets took time out from worrying about government debt at the end [...]
Denton Wilde Sapte joins the rush for transatlantic law firm mergers June 6, 2010 MERGERS and acquisitions are rattling along at quite a pace among transatlantic law firms – unlike at the corporate clients they service, many of which are still finding the M&A game a little hard going at the moment, not least of course Prudential. The latest legal mega-deal repays a closer look. The City’s Denton Wilde [...]
CITY BOSS DRUMMING UP SUPPORT FOR TALENTED POLE-DANCING WIFE June 3, 2010 FANS of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, which has whipped up millions of Britons into a frenzy yet again ahead of this weekend’s final, will be surprised to know that one of the City’s own has a claim to fame via the show. Those who’ve been following the series may remember Alesia Vasmitzel, the scantily-clad blonde [...]
Record period tops forecast for VTB bank June 2, 2010 VTB, Russia’s second biggest lender, returned to the black with a record 15.3bn rouble (£335m) profit for the first three months of 2010 after six quarters of losses. The company beat analysts’ estimate of 10.2bn roubles, but decided not to raise its full-year forecast. Chief financial officer Herbert Moos said: “We do not expect that [...]
Russia’s Lukoil doubles quarterly profit June 2, 2010 LUKOIL, Russia’s number two crude oil producer, yesterday said first-quarter net profit more than doubled, beating analysts’ forecasts, due to rising oil prices. Lukoil, in which US rival ConocoPhillips decided to sell half of its 20 per cent equity stake, said first-quarter net profit, attributable to shareholders, jumped to $2.05bn against a forecast of $1.84bn. [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 27, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES COMMODITIES SURGE AFTER WARNING ON HURRICANE SEASON Oil and natural gas prices surged on Thursday as the US government said this year’s hurricane season could rank among the most active to date, comparable to years that brought such devastating storms as 2005’s Katrina and Rita. The outlook raises the possibility of damage to [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 26, 2010 Otkritie Securities Otkritie, the UK subsidiary of Russian financial services giant Otkritie Financial Corporation, has appointed Howard Snell as chairman. Snell joined the broker last year as an executive director, having previously been UK chief executive of Russian investment bank Troika Dialog. He was also previously co-head of the London emerging markets desk at UBS, [...]
Ovoca Gold plans a 10 per cent buyback of shares May 25, 2010 Ovoca Gold said yesterday it plans to seek approval to repurchase up to 10 per cent of the company’s issued share capital by way of on-market share buybacks. The company does not currently have the authority to repurchase its own shares. Ovaca said it has a strong balance sheet of US$43m (£30m) in net cash [...]