BBA: Walker review must not hurt UK November 26, 2009 THE Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the British Bankers Association (BBA) yesterday called on other nations to mirror the Walker reforms on disclosing £1m-plus earners and strengthening boards. BBA chief executive Angela Knight said Walker was right to insist on more time commitment from non-executive directors and financial industry experience to sit on the board [...]
Rents set to rise for student flats November 23, 2009 Rental growth in the student accommodation sector has remained robust during the downturn, according to estate agents Knight Frank. Rental rates for student houses have recorded growth of five per cent per year over the last six years, compared to 0.6 per cent for commercial property. Substantially higher growth was achieved in key university towns [...]
BLUE-BLOODED CAZENOVE AND THE MYSTERY OF A TRUE ANCIENT RELIC November 19, 2009 BLUE-blooded City stockbroker Cazenove might have officially agreed to surrender the rest of itself to US investment bank JP Morgan, but something tells The Capitalist the die-hards won’t be ready to forget the firm’s noble heritage in a hurry. Lunch yesterday was with a City chum who remembers Caz’s days at its old headquarters in [...]
City divided on Cadbury’s new suitors November 18, 2009 THE City was yesterday divided over the prospect for a Cadbury bidding war as Ferrero and Hershey confirmed they were in early talks about a possible offer for the UK giant. Some said that the presence of other potential bidders in the field would prompt Kraft to increase its offer. One analyst said: “Kraft has [...]
The Queen’s Speech starts election race November 18, 2009 THE government yesterday laid down battle lines for the next general election with a politically charged Queen’s Speech that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats dismissed as “pointless”. The legislative programme outlined by the Queen in the House of Lords contained moves including a widely-expected Financial Services Bill, which will allow regulators to veto bankers’ bonuses [...]
Ferrero and Hershey eye up Cadbury November 17, 2009 ITALIAN confectionary firm Ferrero and US-based Hershey are in talks over a potential joint bid for Cadbury, threatening to derail Kraft’s £9.8bn hostile bid for the UK confectioner. A source familiar with the talks said that the discussions are “very early in the process”. But the news is the clearest sign yet that there could [...]
ECONOMICS GURU MAGNUS WOWS THE CROWDS ON SPEAKER CIRCUIT November 15, 2009 GEORGE Magnus, senior economic adviser to investment bank UBS, has a fair few accolades to his name – not least the dubious honour of having predicted the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression in an uncannily prophetic research paper. But I hear the dapper 60-year-old has recently earned himself a new title, that [...]
FSA GIVEN RIGHT TO VETO BONUS DEALS November 15, 2009 THEFinancial Services Authority will have the power to tear up pay and bonus contracts that violate its guidelines under planned legislation to be unveiled as part of the Queen’s Speech onWednesday. Lord Myners, the City Minister, claimed yesterday that allowing the regulator to render void some contracts would prevent excessive risk-taking from threatening the stability [...]
Say hello to the new Cotswolds November 12, 2009 THE Cotswolds are lovely, but the problem with them is that everybody knows it. Prices are high – whether you’re buying dinner or a house. If it’s the latter, entering the market can be a struggle as demand far exceeds supply, and when you do land your dream cottage, you’ll be paying over the odds [...]
Sir Nick sees dreams come true after receiving knighthood from the Queen November 10, 2009 SIX-TIME major winner Sir Nick Faldo spoke of his honour at being knighted by the Queen at a ceremony at Windsor Castle yesterday. The 52-year-old was handed the accolade for his achievements in golf, which make him the most successful British player in the modern era. “I had dreams as a young boy of being [...]