Lloyds looks to hike PPI redress bill to £8bn October 28, 2013 LLOYDS Banking Group is this morning expected to set aside hundreds of millions of pounds more to cover the costs of its mounting PPI compensation bill. Its total provision could rise as high as £8bn, as much as the other three biggest banks combined. The lender had hoped it had finally reached the final sum in [...]
BT revamps TV offering with a la carte bolt-ons October 28, 2013 BT IS stepping up its efforts to win television subscribers from rivals by giving customers the ability to build their own TV packages. The telecoms giant, which has been going head to head with Sky after launching its own sports channels in August, said yesterday it would offer new entertainment and kids bolt-ons to its [...]
Reaching out to jargon haters October 28, 2013 The management speak that makes us want to drill down into our own heads Is there anybody out there who claims to like office jargon? Straw poll 100 people and every single one will claim to be an ardent devotee of straight-talking. Half the fun of watching The Apprentice (if there is still a drop [...]
BT ramps up Sky rivalry with launch of two TV bolt-on packs October 28, 2013 BT has announced the launch of two new channel bolt-ons in addition to its core "Entertainment pack". At £3 a month each, the bolt-on offering HD Extra and Kids Extra are available to all cutstomers with BT Infinity who take the Entertainment pack. A deal was agreed with Sky a fortnight ago – allowing BT [...]
The Sky Sports boss who is set to resume the battle with BT October 28, 2013 The TV sports giant’s managing director Barney Francis tells David Hellier that the secret to success is to keep growing in the face of increasing competition WHEN you’re head of sport at a company like Sky, the satellite broadcaster where covering live elite sport is a major driver of the business, there’s barely time to [...]
Union climbdown saves Grangemouth refinery October 25, 2013 Sources have told Sky that the Grangemouth refinery will be saved in a last-minute deal. The Unite union confirmed that it has accepted the survival plan proposed by Ineos in a dramatic U-turn. On Friday Unite offered a two-year no-strike deal in an attempt to prevent the closure of the Grangemouth refinery, MP Michael [...]
New questions asked of Royal Mail sale price October 24, 2013 THE CONTROVERSY over the sale of Royal Mail erupted again yesterday when Sky News reported that JP Morgan had valued the company as highly as £9bn as part of a pitch to advise on the transaction. JP Morgan, which did not get taken on to advise on the flotation, declined to comment. In the end the bankers [...]
Move into the heart of city living October 24, 2013 Make a smart international investment or simply live among some of the world’s most famous landmarks There are certain things non-Londoners take for granted that seem like every-day miracles to those living in the capital. Walking to work is one of them – the morning commute is inescapable in the Big Smoke. You can also [...]
JP Morgan valued Royal Mail sale at up to £10bn October 24, 2013 JP Morgan told the government earlier this year that it thought Royal Mail could have an equity value of around £7.75bn to £9.95bn, according to Sky News City editor Mark Kleinman. The government floated the company at £3.3bn earlier this month, launching shares at 330p. Taking into account the company's approximately £800m of net debt, [...]
Barclays set to fight bonus cap October 23, 2013 TOP BANKERS could receive a different pay packet every month under a new scheme that Barclays is considering to side-step Europe’s bonus cap, it emerged yesterday. Sources at Barclays think they have found a way around the rule, topping up salaries with a monthly cash payment based on performance. They hope it may avoid the [...]