Banner Homes snapped up by Cala for £200m March 24, 2014 CALA Homes has made a further push into the more affluent south of England after buying luxury housebuilder Banner Homes yesterday for around £200m. The Edinburgh-based housebuilder, which develops upmarket properties in Scotland and in the Midlands has been looking to grow its presence in the south on the back of rising demand and said [...]
Arbuthnot set to gain clients in pension reform March 20, 2014 ARBUTHNOT Banking Group increased customer numbers across its retail finance operations in 2013, the group revealed yesterday as it published its annual results. And the bank expects more clients to use its financial planning services in wake of the shake-up of pension rules in this week’s budget. The lending group – made up predominantly of [...]
Reactions to the chancellor’s statement March 19, 2014 THINK TANK’S TAKE Director at the Adam Smith InstituteEamonn Butler The libertarian think tank applauded the freedom granted to pensioners. “At last Britain's private pension savers will be treated like responsible adults. As lifetimes have lengthened and financial uncertainty has abounded, annuity rates have fallen, leaving savers much worse off then they expected. The rule [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 04 March 2014 March 3, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Nine private equity heads share $2.5bn The nine founders of the four big listed US private equity companies took home more than $2.5bn between them last year, with Apollo Global Management’s Leon Black alone receiving $546m. The dividend income, investment profits and other compensation shared by the founders of Apollo, Blackstone, Carlyle and [...]
City&Gild: Customers have changed – are you ready to move from need to desire? February 21, 2014 As I watched the tragic plight of the Ukrainian people this week, the arrival of an email entitled “Need state Identification project” made me question further the way that we think about brands and customers. With struggling nations across the globe all battling for their voices to be heard, the contrast between such real and desperate [...]
NewRiver Retail to raise £75m for shopping spree in regions January 21, 2014 SHOPPING centre owner NewRiver Retail announced its second share placing in less than six months yesterday as it looks to continue its buying spree for more retail assets in the regions. The property company, which owns shopping centres including Regent Court in Leamington Spa and Newlands Shopping Centre in Essex, said it planned to raise [...]
City Moves for 21 January 2014 | Who’s switching jobs January 20, 2014 PwC The professional services firm has hired Daniel Windhaus as a partner in its working capital team. He has over 15 years’ industry experience. Windaus formerly held roles at REL Consultancy and Alvarez & Marsal. Lambert Smith Hampton The commercial property consultancy has recruited Jonathan King as head of corporate advisory. King was most recently at [...]
New car sales hit post-crisis high January 7, 2014 BRITONS bought 2,264,737 new cars last year, the highest sales rate since 2007 and better than industry forecasts. Showrooms shifted 10.8 per cent more new vehicles than they did in 2012, with analysts pointing to windfalls from PPI compensation, attractive finance packages and a hunt for more fuel-efficient cars as the main drivers of growth. [...]
The year in preview: Our in-depth guide January 5, 2014 City A.M.’s journalists take a wide-ranging look at what 2014 has in store for the world of finance and business BANKINGRestoring faith means costly overhaulsA CAUTIOUS optimism pervades the British and European banking system at the start of 2014. The incoming economic recovery is at last improving customers’ creditworthiness, while the hard work running down [...]
Japanese firm buys Canopius in £594m deal December 18, 2013 JAPANESE insurance group NKSJ yesterday confirmed its £594m deal to buy Lloyd’s of London underwriter Canopius, becoming the latest firm to make inroads into the City’s historic insurance market. NKSJ will buy Canopius, its biggest ever acquisition, through its Sompo Japan subsidiary. The purchase means a windfall for Bregal Capital, whose funds own just over [...]