After a volatile week for global markets, is there still time for a Santa Rally? December 17, 2014 Adrian Lowcock, head of investing at Axa Wealth, says Yes. The so-called Santa Rally relates primarily to the last two weeks of the calendar year – the weeks of Christmas and New Year. In this two-week period, the FTSE 100 has put in its best performance of the year every year since 1986. A major [...]
Christmas jumper day turned out to be something of a cracker December 14, 2014 We asked… you delivered. Friday was probably the only day of the year when the brighter, the sillier, the most garish, the more glittery jumper imaginable was allowed in even the most staid of City offices. It was, of course, Christmas Jumper Day and it was all in a good cause, too – Save [...]
Aviva in danger of losing major Asian contract as rivals close in December 7, 2014 INSURER Aviva is facing a sale of one of its biggest contracts in Asia, according to market sources. If the company does not want to lose its bancassurance deal with Singapore’s DBS, which is due to end in 2015 after 14 years, it may be forced by a competitive auction process to pay in excess [...]
City Moves for 02 December 2014 | Who’s switching jobs December 1, 2014 Baker Tilly Jim Muir has been appointed head of financial services at the accountancy and business advisory firm. He previously worked at KPMG, and has held board level positions at a range of financial services businesses. Standard Chartered Gwynne Master has been appointed head of financial institutions for Europe in the bank’s corporate and institutional [...]
Aviva share price falls as Friends Life shares rise: Surprised market reacts to deal bombshell November 24, 2014 The market was divided yesterday following the announcement of a planned merger between insurer Aviva and its competitor Friends Life. Aviva saw its shares fall by more than five per cent during the day, while shares in Friends Life climbed by six per cent. Most analysts agreed that the announcement was surprising, with [...]
City Moves for 20 November 2014 | Who’s switching jobs November 19, 2014 Deloitte The business advisory firm has appointed Bill Page as senior adviser for African projects, based in London. He joins after five years at Deloitte Tanzania, where he was partner responsible for tax practices there and in Uganda. Page also spent nearly 11 years in the former Soviet Union. Moore Stephens The accounting and advisory [...]
What are the tallest buildings in London? How the Pinnacle will measure up against neighbouring towers November 7, 2014 This week it emerged work on the Pinnacle may finally begin again after four years. With its eye-catching “Helter Skelter” design rising 63 storeys – about 945ft – the Pinnacle was going to be the tallest tower in the Square Mile (although it will never quite match up to the Shard’s 1,014ft). But work [...]
City Moves for 06 November 2014 | Who’s switching jobs November 5, 2014 Bristows The law firm has announced the appointment of Matt Dennis as a partner in its corporate practice. He joins from Bird & Bird, and has particular experience in international M&A and corporate transactions for clients in technology-related industries. Axa Investment Managers Gregory Venizelos has been appointed senior credit strategist in the asset management company’s [...]
The Stump is dead: Here’s everything we know about The Pinnacle, London’s next skyline-altering tower November 3, 2014 So the Pinnacle, the London skyscraper that never was, looks like it might finally be built. The tower, on Bishopsgate in the City of London, was nicknamed "the Helter Skelter" because of its twisty design at the top, but met an undignified fate when its developer, Brookfield Multiplex, was forced to abandon work on it [...]
City Moves for 21 October 2014 | Who’s switching jobs October 20, 2014 Page Group Jonathan Wiles has been appointed managing director of Page Executive by the recruitment specialist. Wiles, who joined the firm in 1992, will be transferring from the role of managing director of Michael Page Human Resources. Cantor Fitzgerald Europe Jonathan Richards has been appointed equity research analyst in the financial services firm’s Financial Institutions [...]