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02 September 2010

Canada fund approached by China investors on Potash

CALGARY/Winnipeg, Manitoba (Reuters) - Chinese investors, among other unidentified parties, have approached at least one big Canadian pension manager about mounting a bid for Canada's Potash Corp I to rival BHP Billiton's $39 billion (25.3 billion pound) hostile offer.

02 September 2010

Enhanced annuity sales boom continues

LONDON (Reuters) - Sales of enhanced annuities -- pension products offering a higher income to people likely to die early -- jumped 41 percent in the first half in Britain, confirming booming demand, a survey found.

02 September 2010

Utilities probed for mis-selling

LONDON (Reuters) - Ofgem is launching an investigation into whether four of the big UK gas and power suppliers are mis-selling products to customers, the energy regulator said on Thursday.

02 September 2010

House prices down 0.9 percent in August

LONDON (Reuters) - House prices fell much faster than expected last month but further declines are likely to be modest, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Thursday.

01 September 2010

China may probe BHP's bid for Potash - paper

BEIJING (Reuters) - China may launch an antimonopoly probe into BHP Billiton's $39 billion bid for Canada's Potash Corp , the China Business News said on Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.

01 September 2010

Citi creates global family wealth unit

LONDON (Reuters) - Citigroup's private banking arm has set up a global unit to target family offices, organisations that manage the financial affairs of rich dynasties, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

01 September 2010

Warnings mount as retail ETF surge gathers pace

LONDON (Reuters) - Worries over opacity and liquidity could temper small-time savers' enthusiasm for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), set to be boosted by a UK regulatory revamp of fees on products sold to private investors.

01 September 2010

Saskatchewan concerned about China Potash Corp buy

WINNIPEG/TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Saskatchewan, home of takeover target Potash Corp , would have "lots of concerns" about a Chinese sovereign fund or state-owned company buying part or all of the company, Energy Minister Bill Boyd said on Tuesday.

31 August 2010

UK fund managers return to shares

LONDON (Reuters) - A growing belief among British investment managers that fears of a renewed economic slump are overblown has halted a five-month decline in allocations to stocks, according to a Reuters poll.

31 August 2010

Lending falls to four-month low

LONDON (Reuters) - Net lending to households unexpectedly fell to a four-month low last month after a sharp decline in mortgage lending, reinforcing economists' concerns that tight credit conditions may hamper future growth.

31 August 2010

Consumer confidence improves

LONDON (Reuters) - Consumer confidence unexpectedly improved in August for the first time since February thanks to a more positive view on the economic outlook, a survey showed on Tuesday.

31 August 2010

Minister sees no early cut in tax burden

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons can expect no cut in the overall tax burden for an extended period as the coalition government takes tough steps to narrow a gaping budget deficit, a Treasury minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.

31 August 2010

House prices down by most since April 2009

LONDON (Reuters) - House prices suffered their biggest fall since April 2009 this month, declining by 0.3 percent, property data company Hometrack said on Monday in its monthly survey of estate agents and surveyors.

30 August 2010

BHP denies any plans to divest Potash Corp assets

TORONTO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - BHP Billiton denied speculation on Monday that it planned to sell any of Potash Corp's assets if it succeeds with its $38.6 billion (24.9 billion pound) hostile bid for the world's largest fertilizer producer.

29 August 2010

BHP says timed Potash bid as rivals were weakened

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Global miner BHP Billiton on Sunday played down any chance of raising its $39 billion (25 billion pound) bid for fertiliser maker Potash Corp , saying it had timed its move to catch out weakened rival bidders.

27 August 2010

House prices up 6.7 pct in July - Land Registry

LONDON (Reuters) - House prices in England and Wales rose 0.4 percent on the month and 6.7 percent on the year in July, figures from the Land Registry showed on Friday.

27 August 2010

BHP readies charm offensive to woo Potash owners

SYDNEY/HONG KONG (Reuters) - BHP Billiton's chief executive flies to North America this week to mount a charm offensive to woo Potash Corp shareholders, as a potential Chinese rival bidder reiterated it was closely watching BHP's $39 billion (25 billion pound) offer.

26 August 2010

BHP prepares to woo Potash owners

SYDNEY/HONG KONG (Reuters) - BHP Billiton's chief executive flies to North America this week to crank up the charm offensive with Potash Corp shareholders, as a potential Chinese rival bidder reiterated it was "closely watching" the $39 billion (25 billion pound) deal.

26 August 2010

Clegg rejects budget criticism

LONDON (Reuters) - Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Thursday rejected a report by an independent and influential think-tank that said the government's fiscal new measures will hit the poor hardest.

25 August 2010

BHP says it won't buy Potash "at any cost"

MELBOURNE/LONDON (Reuters) - BHP Billiton, tried to damp expectations it would sweeten its hostile $39 billion (25 billion pound) offer for Potash Corp even as the world's biggest miner showed it had the wherewithal to up the ante.

25 August 2010

Pension lifeboat to boost funding target

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Pension Protection Fund (PPF), which pays corporate pensions when companies go bust, plans to create a funding buffer to help reassure members it can cope with the costs of longer life expectancies.

25 August 2010

IFS says June budget will hit poor hardest

LONDON (Reuters) - The coalition government's June budget will hit the poor hardest, the Institute of Fiscal Studies said on Wednesday, contradicting Chancellor George Osborne's assertion that his plans are progressive.

25 August 2010

BHP profit jump could dampen rivals in Potash bid

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - BHP Billiton's monster earnings expected this week could strengthen its hand in its $39 billion (25.3 billion pound) bid for fertiliser group Potash Corp and intimidate any rival bidders.

20 August 2010

Petrol, diesel prices dip in mid-August

LONDON (Reuters) - The average petrol price in Britain fell slightly over the past month due mainly to a fall in the benchmark wholesale market, the Automobile Association said on Friday.

19 August 2010

July retail sales surge

LONDON (Reuters) - British retail sales volumes rose nearly three times faster than expected in July, and a surge in corporate tax receipts cut public borrowing sharply, data showed on Thursday, suggesting the recovery remains strong.