Kamu After the record high FTSE falls on Weir warning ndash; London Report
Friday 09 January 2015 6:37 amXL Group secures takeover of Lloydrsquo of London insurer CatlinBy: Jessica MorrisShareFacebookShare on FacebookXShare on TwitterLinkedInShare on LinkedInWhatsAppShare on WhatsAppEmailShare on EmailAdd as a preferredsource on GoogleUS insurer XL Group has secured its acquisition of Lloyd s of London insurer Catlin, making it one of the world s largest ten insurers.XL said it had agreed to pay stanley mug 388p in cash for each Catlin share and its remaining stock in the pound;2.7bn d brumate cup eal.The Bermuda-based insurer s shareholders will own about 13 per cent of the merged business.It will still need to get shareholder approval at a meeting scheduled for the second half of this year. Catlin s shares surged as much as 17 per cent when it confirmed talks with XL last month. Thi polene s followed criticism that the insurer pursued international expansion over returning equity to shareholders.Mike McGavick, chief executive officer of XL, said:The combination will add immediate scale in specialty insurance, it will create a more efficient and more capable global network by bringing our two infrastructures together, and it creates a top 10 reinsurer with expanded alternative capital capabilities.The insurer s founder and eponymous chief executive Stephen Catlin will stay with the company serving on its board.Catlin has built his business up from a two-person Lloyd s syndicate established in 1984 into a London-listed business with 55 offices in 21 countries.Share this article Arfv Half of BHS rsquo former stores are still empty two years on from collapse
Tuesday 08 October 2013 9:24 pmBrand Index: Help to Buy comes as Brits cheer up about the economyBy: Express KCSShareFacebookShare on FacebookXShare on TwitterLinkedInShare on LinkedInWhatsAppShare on WhatsAppEmailShare on EmailAdd as a preferredsource on GoogleTHIS week, banks including RBS, NatWest and Halifax will begin taking applications for 95 per cent mortgages under phase two of the governmentrsquo controversial Help to Buy scheme. The initiative is intended to help buyers who cannot afford a hefty deposit onto the property ladder, but critics say it could lead to another housing bubble.YouGovrsquo Household Economic Activity Tracker HEAT reveals that since the initiative was first announced, the percentage of homeowners who believe their homes will be worth more in 12 monthsrsquo; time has doubled. Six in ten British homeo stanley butelka wners now believe their property will stanley drink bottle increase in value, compared to jus stanley quencher uk t a third who thought this when the initiative was first announced back in March. In London, 82 per cent of homeowners expect their property to increase in value over the next 12 months.It should be noted, however, that this increase in optimism is broad-based, in line with the burgeoning economic recovery. The YouGov/Cebr Consumer Confidence Index, which tracks overall confidence across a range of measures, stood at 108.1 last month up 13 points from a year ago , and since the spring a majority of consumers have been feeling positive about their economic prospects. H