Insurance company Axa ventures further into India, increasing its stake in its joint venture December 1, 2015 Axa has today revealed that it is increasing its stake in its Indian joint venture companies. The insurer announced that it would be raising its holding in the life and general insurance ventures, Bharti AXA Life Insurance Co and Bharti AXA General Insurance Co, from 26 per cent to 49 per cent in a bid [...]
Defence company shares rise – but should you buy? November 25, 2015 Shares in companies involved in defence leapt this week after the government announced plans to spend an extra £12bn on the “diverse” threats facing the UK. Shares in the FTSE 100’s BAE Systems, Babcock and Rolls-Royce all rose. Analysts are recommending defence stocks as a buy – but should they be in your portfolio? [...]
Tech unicorns face fresh bubble fear November 24, 2015 Traders are piling up short interest on early stage technology firms after a string of young companies made market-busting initial public offerings (IPOs). The so-called “unicorns” – companies which are valued at $1bn before they have launched onto the stock market – are being targeted by traders betting their share prices will fall. Although they [...]
Insurance giant Axa planning to sell off wealth management division in UK November 22, 2015 Axa has brought in advisors to help it sell off some of its UK businesses, including parts of their wealth management division, the Sunday Times reported today. Sources told the Sunday newspaper that the insurer, who is headquartered in France, had grown weary of the UK’s regulatory environment and had called in bankers at Barclays and [...]
Cash is no king: But there are some high interest paying current accounts November 19, 2015 With the UK’s low-interest rate environment likely to continue well into next year, few would claim that cash is king. But at a time of meagre bond yields and volatility in equity markets, cash is no pretender either. The attractiveness of easy-access accounts has weakened in recent years, with most providers offering less than 1.5 [...]
French private equity firm Ardian raises €1.1bn for co-investment fund November 18, 2015 French private equity firm Ardian has completed a €1.1bn (£769m) fundraising for its fourth co-investment fund. The fund's strategy is to co-invest a minority stake in larger private equity transactions, with two pools, so investors can choose their exposure to the US and European markets. Ardian, which until 2013 was AXA Private Equity and is [...]
London’s newest skyscraper – Pinnacle replacement 22 Bishopsgate – given go-ahead by City of London planners November 17, 2015 London's saddest skyscraper may yet be set for a happy ending, after a City of London planning committee gave it the thumbs up. The building formerly known as the Pinnacle – aka the "Helter Skelter", thanks to its complex, curly design – has stood half-built since 2008, after the sheer cost of the project brought it [...]
City Moves for 10 November 2015 | Who’s switching jobs November 9, 2015 BNP PARIBAS INVESTMENT PARTNERS The asset management division of BNP Paribas has announced the appointment of Laurent Gueunier as head of alternative debt management. He joins from Axa Investment Managers, where he was head of structured finance. Gueunier has also worked within structured credit at JP Morgan and began his career within commodities trading at [...]
Aldi, Google and Lidl top Global Brand Simplicity Index: These are the best brands for getting their message across November 9, 2015 Aldi and Lidl are shaking up the supermarket sector in more than one way. Not only are they undercutting the competition and forcing the Big Four into a Mexican stand-off over prices, the German grocers are also showing them how it's done when it comes to getting their message across. Aldi has topped the sixth annual Global [...]
City Moves for 09 November 2015 | Who’s switching jobs November 8, 2015 RSM The audit, tax, and consulting services firm has announced the appointments of Pelle Langli and Mark Wootton (pictured) as partners in its consulting practice. Langli joins from EC Partners. He has more than 15 years' experience in consulting, and will focus on building RSM's finance function advisory service line. Wootton joins from KM&T UK, [...]