What the other papers say this morning – 21 October 2013
FINANCIAL TIMES
Cameron to build on Royal Mail sale
David Cameron is planning to build on the huge popularity of the Royal Mail privatisation by prioritising retail investors for the sell-offs ahead of the general election in 2015. Attracting retail investors will be a key aim as the government prepares to complete the sales of Royal Mail and Lloyds Bank next year, according to people close to the situation.
HTC chief executive cuts duties
The chief executive of HTC has handed some operational duties to the company’s chairman and co-founder, as the beleaguered Taiwanese smartphone maker tries to claw its way back to prominence in the hyper-competitive mobile sector. In what is being presented as a temporary move, Peter Chou is focusing on product development. Cher Wang, who has remained firm in 1997, has stepped up her day-to-day duties.
Home rental bond gets credit rating
The world’s first bond backed by home rental income could come to market in the coming weeks, after securing a credit rating that should make the deal more palatable to debt investors. The private equity group Blackstone and Deutsche Bank have been working for some time on the securitisation, but the deal is now expected to be marketed as early as this month, according to people familiar with the transaction.
THE TIMES
Super-sewer may have double charge
Households could be forced to pay at least twice as much as necessary for a “super-sewer” being planned to run under London, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report which says Thames Water’s scheme would generate vast profits.
Eisai’s government health warning
A Japanese drugs company with a large base in Britain has angrily attacked the slow adoption of new medicines by the NHS. Eisai has told health secretary Jeremy Hunt that future investment will dry up unless Britain takes a more proactive approach in adopting new medicines.
The Daily Telegraph
Eisai chief gives Nice ultimatum
One of Japan’s leading pharmaceutical companies has warned it could scale back future investment in the UK if the system for registering drugs for patient use is not improved. Eisai said that the Government’s licensing body, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), had acted as a block on new drugs being launched in the UK.
Lloyds gave £10m loan to F1 team
State-backed Lloyds Banking Group gave a £10m loan to Formula One’s worst-performing team, Marussia, before selling its stake.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
EUROPE
Apple adjusts its tablet strategy
Apple is expected to unveil a new batch of iPads tomorrow, as rivals, including Samsung and Amazon.com, look to chip away at the company’s lead in the tablet market.
Hutchison Considers Retail IPO
Li Ka-shing’s Hutchison Whampoa is considering a plan for an initial public offering of its AS Watson & Co unit, a retailer with 11,093 stores that sell things as diverse as aspirin, Bordeaux wine and Apple iPods in 33 countries.