Saracens must claim top-two spot, says McCall March 30, 2014 AFTER Saracens secured their place in the Aviva Premiership play-offs on Saturday, director of rugby Mark McCall was insisting they swiftly wrap up a home semi-final too. Sarries ensured they will remain in the top four for the rest of the regular season with a 32-20 defeat of London rivals Wasps – their 16th victory [...]
What you need to know before the open March 28, 2014 European markets are expected higher this morning, with resources predicted to gain on growing confidence that China will act to increase stimuli to boost the economy. Weaker-than-expected economic data has prompted premier Li Keqiang to suggest authorities are ready to press on with infrastructure investment. That’ll mean a focus on miners, as the moves have [...]
Aviva sells US equity manager River Road March 28, 2014 Insurer Aviva’s announced that Aviva Investors, its asset management business, has reached a deal to sell equity manager River Road Asset Management. They've found a buyer in the form of Affiliated Managers Group, a Massachusetts-based investment firm. The move comes as the group looks to simplify its business, making it “more focused”, with an integrated operating [...]
Trailing Harlequins aim to salvage season with five consecutive wins March 27, 2014 HARLEQUINS prop Kyle Sinckler insists his team are capable of overcoming the odds to secure an unlikely Aviva Premiership play-off place with five rounds to go. Sinckler made his third top-flight start last weekend as defeat to Saracens at Wembley left Quins sixth in the table, nine points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester Tigers ahead of [...]
Mysterious Pears dynasty backs new venture to build £1bn of London homes March 27, 2014 One of the biggest and most private landlords in London and the South East has thrown its weight behind a £200m joint venture that aims to build £1bn of new homes in central London over the next five years. The Pears family, which owns the Coutts bank building on London’s Strand and the Coronet theatre [...]
London’s 13 favourite skyscrapers ranked March 27, 2014 A report out two weeks ago documented over 236 skyscrapers coming to the city – over double what it’s got now. London's long been thought of as a low-rise city – compare it with New York and Hong Kong – but it looks like its skyline's in for a shift – upwards. How do Londoners [...]
Shareholders vote in favour of F&C takeover March 25, 2014 F&C ASSET Management is on the verge of becoming a subsidiary of Canadian lender Bank of Montreal after shareholders yesterday voted through the £708m takeover deal. Almost all of F&C’s shareholders that voted – approximately 99.6 per cent – supported the deal. The owners of 58 per cent of the company’s shares voted. The F&C [...]
Aviva sells Turkish general unit March 25, 2014 Insurer Aviva said yesterday it has agreed to sell its Turkish general insurance business Aviva Sigorta to a private equity consortium led by venture fund EMF Capital Partners. The firm said its life and pensions business in Turkey, AvivaSA, was unaffected by this transaction. The statement was made on the London and Istanbul stock exchanges [...]
Academies are transforming education: Here’s how March 24, 2014 AS SOON as you walk into a great school, you can feel the buzz. Children are confident, staff are passionate, and high academic achievement and exciting extra-curricular activities sit side by side. As an academy sponsor, and chair of the Department for Education’s Academies Board, I’ve visited many schools like this. Schools like Great Yarmouth [...]
Standard Life swoops for City fund firm Ignis March 24, 2014 STANDARD Life is on the verge of clinching a £400m deal to buy City funds group Ignis Asset Management, the latest tie-up in a wave of consolidations. The Scottish insurer, which runs £184bn through its Standard Life Investments brand, confirmed last night it was in exclusive talks with Ignis’ FTSE-listed owner Phoenix Group. The deal, [...]