NEWS IN BRIEF January 15, 2012 CREDIT CARD SPENDING DOWN According to analysis of customer spending data carried out by Santander Credit Cards, the average credit card spend has fallen four per cent over the past 12 months. The data reveals that while the total number of transactions has increased by one per cent over that time period, the value of [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 12, 2012 Association of British Insurers The ABI board has appointed Robert Talbut, chief investment officer of Royal London Asset Management, as chairman of the ABI investment committee. Previously the committee’s deputy chairman, he takes over from Alain Dromer, CEO of Aviva Investors. Talbut is a member of the Listing Authority advisory committee and an alternate on [...]
FTSE given lift by airline deal December 22, 2011 The FTSE 100 nudged up this morning led by BA owner International Airlines group (IAG) which announced a deal for Lufthansa’s bmi. Overall European shares started higher with the FTSEurofirst 300 index gaining around one per cent in early trade while global stocks, as measured by MSCI world equity index, were edged up 0.2 per [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 20, 2011 Barclays Wealth Wellian Wiranto has been appointed as Asia economist at Barclays Wealth’s Singapore office. As a member of the Barclays Wealth global investment strategy group, Wiranto will also focus on interpreting market economics for private banking clients in the region. Prior to joining Barclays Wealth, Wiranto worked at HSBC Bank in Singapore as its [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 12, 2011 Cushman & Wakefield The global property consultant has expanded its EMEA sustainability team by appointing Justy Mathew as sustainability analyst, based in London. He joins from Pensions & Investment Research Consultants, where he worked on corporate social responsibility. Reporting to Andries van der Walt, head of sustainability for EMEA, Mathew will deliver sustainability consultancy for [...]
Markets choppy as Europe rift widens December 9, 2011 The FTSE began to slip this morning as investors digested the impact of a new Eurozone agreement over fiscal integration which was shunned by Britain. Britain torpedoed the chances of a consensus as Prime Minister David Cameron refused to accept plans for a financial transactions tax that would clobber the City. Three French banks were [...]
Aviva mulls selling off part of UK annuity book to bolster capital base December 4, 2011 AVIVA, the UK’s biggest insurer, is considering selling off part of its portfolio of UK annuities to strengthen its balance sheet after a fall in its regulatory capital surplus due to volatile stock and bond markets over recent months. Aviva is the UK’s biggest provider of individual annuities with a 23 per cent market share, [...]
Omega investors angered by Byrne’s plans to lapse offer December 1, 2011 INVESTORS in Omega Insurance including Aviva, Toscafund, Crystal Amber and founder shareholder John Robinson, are up in arms over plans by tycoon Mark Byrne to allow his tender offer for 25 per cent of shares in the group to lapse even though it received more than the minimal number of acceptances. Robinson, speaking to City [...]
Broadbent takes over as new chairman of Tesco November 30, 2011 SIR RICHARD Broadbent has officially taken over as Tesco’s new chairman, replacing David Reid, who has spent almost two decades on the board of the UK’s leading supermarket chain. The appointment, seen as one of the biggest corporate roles in the UK, was first announced in May, with Sir Richard joining the board as a [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS November 24, 2011 Betfair Matt Lambert has been appointed as director of public affairs at the gaming group. He will oversee Betfair’s global public affairs strategy. Lambert is currently director of corporate affairs and citizenship at Microsoft UK, responsible for government and political relations, community affairs and environmental practice. FSA The Financial Services Authority has appointed Sir Nicholas [...]