Aviva sets deadline for £300m sale of Malaysian joint venture September 25, 2012 INSURANCE giant Aviva has set a deadline of 29 October to receive bids for its Malaysian insurance business, reports suggested yesterday. Prudential, Manulife and Sun Life Financial are thought to be in the running to buy the British firm’s holding, which is expected to fetch at least $500m (£317m). Aviva set up the business five [...]
McCall calls for Saracens to tidy act up after loss September 23, 2012 SARACENS’ unbeaten start to the new Aviva Premiership season ended at the hands of Exeter – and director of rugby Mark McCall admitted indiscipline cost them dear in the 14-12 loss. Sireli Naqelevuki’s second-half try and three penalties from Ignacio Mieres gave the Chiefs victory as Owen Farrell’s 12-point haul was only good enough for [...]
Pay boom over for UK bosses September 20, 2012 SALARIES for Britain’s top bosses are rising at below the rate of inflation and bonuses shrank in the last year, hit by the economic slump and tougher scrutiny of executive pay, according to research out today. The figures from Deloitte show that even FTSE 100 chief executives are feeling the pinch this year, with the [...]
Aviva Investors mulls overhaul of listed real estate business September 19, 2012 AVIVA Investors could close its global listed real estate business divisions in New York and London as it reviews the way it manages its listed real estate securities, it was revealed yesterday. The firm, the asset management division of insurance giant Aviva, has written to advisers informing them its current business has “insufficient scale” to [...]
Surge in banking shares helps FTSE to maintain its near 6-month high September 19, 2012 STRENGTH in banks and energy stocks hauled Britain’s leading share index higher yesterday as fresh central bank stimulus moves, this time from the Bank of Japan, whetted investors’ appetite for riskier-perceived assets. The BoJ joined in recent action from the US and Europe with bond purchases designed to kick-start its economy as central banks aim [...]
FTSE 100 rebounds on Japan’s stimulus September 19, 2012 The blue chip index opened up this morning, as investors were encouraged by the Bank of Japan’s decision to extend its asset purchase programme by 10 trillion yen. Miners led the index up in early trading, as investors were also buoyed by the end of the strike at Lonmin’s Marikana mine. Ferrexpo added 4.74 per [...]
City Views | Would you buy shares in Direct Line? September 18, 2012 RICHARD MCARTHUR | LLOYDS BANKING GROUP I would have no interest in buying stock shares with Direct Line. The company itself is strong but with the uncertainty in the stock market at the moment, I would not risk it. PAUL HANCOCK | PRUDENTIAL UK I would consider buying shares in Direct Line because it already [...]
Double broker downgrade hits shares in Aviva September 18, 2012 SHARES in insurance giant Aviva slumped four per cent yesterday after two leading analysts reduced their recommendations on the firm. Bank of America Merill Lynch (BAML) and Deutsche Bank both cut their forecasts after concluding that the company’s stock has risen too much since executive chairman John McFarlane announced a radical restructuring plan in July. [...]
BT opens wallet to sign Beeb’s Jake Humphrey September 18, 2012 A FTER a breakthrough 2012 that saw him shine as one of the lead anchors of the BBC’s Olympic coverage, the Beeb’s Formula 1 frontman Jake Humphrey has been snapped up by BT to present its Premier League offering from next season. Humphrey’s signing is the latest big money move from BT, after it shelled [...]
Panda-monium in Washington as investor fuels bearish boom September 18, 2012 BILLIONAIRE private equity investor David Rubenstein, co-founder of Carlyle Group, has added another string to his bow – as panda godparent. On Monday, Rubenstein got the latest return on his investment in the form of a new giant panda cub called Mei Xiang, which was born thanks to techniques developed at a facility in Washington [...]