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Markets cautious over Spain fears

Mon, 28 May 2012 17:54:18 GMT

European markets remained in a fragile mood today with the euro dropping to near 11-month lows on concerns about Spain's ailing banking sector following the announcement of bailout plans for troubled lender Bankia.

Spotlight On: Arnaud Lagardère, chairman designate EADS

Mon, 28 May 2012 17:48:23 GMT

Arnaud Lagardère – must be related to Christine, of the International Monetary Fund, right?

Bailout fears spark Bankia shares dive

Mon, 28 May 2012 15:37:51 GMT

Concern over the bailout plans for troubled Spanish lender Bankia and the country's ability to finance itself sent the nationalised bank's share price plummeting and Spain's borrowing costs soaring today.

850 jobs at risk as oil refinery closes

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:16:37 GMT

An oil refinery which went bust is to close after administrators failed to find a buyer or the cash needed to keep it going, putting around 850 jobs at risk.

Hundreds of jobs at risk as oil refinery closes

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:16:37 GMT

An oil refinery which went bust is to close after administrators failed to find a buyer or the cash needed to keep it going, putting around 850 jobs at risk.

A tale of two housing markets: north vs south

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:09:01 GMT

The north-south divide in house prices is widening, according to figures for May published today. Rising property values in London helped push the latest national Hometrack house price index into positive territory, despite seven out of 10 regions posting falling or static prices.

CBI in call for pension funds to be given credit subsidies

Sun, 27 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The Government should offer credit subsidies to pension funds and other institutional investors in order to unlock billions of pounds for infrastructure spending, the CBI argues today.

Shareholders set to give RBS chief Hester a rough ride

Sun, 27 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Despite giving up his annual bonus Stephen Hester, chief executive of taxpayer-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland, is set to face angry shareholders at the bank's annual meeting on Wednesday.

Sacked Olympus boss Woodford starts fight against unfair dismissal

Sun, 27 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Michael Woodford, the British whistleblower sacked from Japanese cameras and endoscopes giant Olympus, begins his multi-million-pound unfair dismissal case against the company at a London tribunal today.

RBS cuts ties with former broking arm

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Royal Bank of Scotland is set to axe Hoare Govett as its broker, just months after selling the historic City institution as part of a dramatic scale-back in investment banking.

We shouldn't be lecturing euro states, says Cable

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Britain's double-dip recession means ministers must show "humility" in dealing with the eurozone and not "lecture" countries on how to run their own economies, warned Vince Cable, as he defended his record as a champion of business.

Günter Grass attacks Merkel for Athens policy

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The world's leaders and economists, having put in their euro's worth on Greece and currency union – to no great discernible effect, so far – yesterday, one of the planet's most respected literary figures joined in. Germany's Nobel literature laureate Günter Grass criticised the treatment of Greece in the debt crisis, describing it in a new poem as a "country sentenced to poverty".

RBS cuts ties with former broking arm

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Royal Bank of Scotland is set to axe Hoare Govett as its broker, just months after selling the historic City institution as part of a dramatic scale-back in investment banking.

Moonpig founder takes share in outfitters Smart Turnout

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

An online gentleman's outfitter that began life as a regimental clothing supplier has attracted funding from giftcard group Moonpig.com's founder Nick Jenkins.

Tyrells hopes to take a bite out of US market

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Tyrrells, the crisp brand made solely from Herefordshire potatoes, has agreed a deal with snack distributor Royal Food to expand in the US. By late summer, bags of Tyrrells will be on sale in 260 Duane Reade Drug stores in Manhattan.

Shareholders await prospectus for Glencore-Xstrata merger

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The prospectus outlining the creation of a £50bn-plus commodities empire will be sent to shareholders of the two FTSE-100 group's involved this week.

Consumers at lowest ebb in three years

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Rising anxiety over the UK's worsening double-dip recession is set to further undermine fragile consumer confidence this month, despite some respite for motorists from falling petrol prices.

Former Moss Bros boss to help retailer to refinance

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Listed department store chain Beales has hired a former Moss Bros board member as interim finance director as it closes in on a refinancing package.

Goldman Sachs looks at billionaire's oil break up

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Goldman Sachs is considering breaking up the $2bn (£1.3bn) sale of the Swedish oil group owned by the Saudi billionaire Mohammed al-Amoudi.

Pension contributions 'may need to be made compulsory'

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The state will need to make saving for pensions compulsory if the industry does not radically reform by 2017, a think-tank with the Government's ear will warn next month.

Town Centre Restaurants seeks fresh investment

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The company behind Azzurro restaurants has hired advisers at an accountancy firm to explore its strategic options, including potential new investment, to help turn around its performance.

Cape profits take £14m hit on disastrous project in Algeria

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Shares in the industrial services group Cape crashed 37 per cent yesterday after it said that a massive energy project it is working on in Algeria will make a loss.

Cape profits take £14m hit on disastrous project inAlgeria

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Shares in the industrial services group Cape crashed 37 per cent yesterday after it said that a massive energy project it is working on in Algeria will make a loss.

Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar suspended

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Dany Bahar, the multi-millionaire head of struggling Lotus Cars, has been suspended from his role as chief executive officer of the Norwich-based automotive group over his alleged "conduct".

Former security chief at Lloyds Banking Group faces fraud charges

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

A former fraud and security chief at Lloyds Banking Group is to be prosecuted over an alleged £2.5m fraud, in an embarrassing development for the part-nationalised bank.