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Thursday 28 March 2013

UK Financial News on 2013-03-28

Cyprus cash curbs 'may last a month'
Tight capital controls in Cyprus could last for up to a month, the country's foreign minister says, on the day crisis-hit banks re-opened to customers......

US growth is faster than expected
The US economy grew at a faster than expected 0.4% in the fourth quarter, the Department of Commerce says, but the overall picture remains sluggish......

Camera chain Jessops re-launches
Camera chain Jessops has re-opened two of its stores just a couple of months after going into administration in January with the closure of 187 branches.....

Oil firms invest 330m in Atlantic
Major oil companies announce plans which they hope will boost production from the UK's biggest oilfield......

IMF 'has confidence' in Lagarde
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it continues to have "confidence" in its managing director Christine Lagarde......

Blackberry reports 1m Z10 sales
Mobile phone maker Blackberry says it sold one million of its new Z10 smartphones, but has lost three million users......

RBS apologises for mobile app fault
RBS has apologised to customers unable to login to their accounts on Thursday through their mobile phone app......

UK services sector grew in January
The UK's services sector grew at its fastest pace for five months in January, the Office for National Statistics says......

UK house prices 'see annual rise'
UK house prices were 0.8% higher in March from a year earlier, the Nationwide says, the first annual rise for more than a year......

'Stronger growth' for big economies
The world's major economies will see stronger growth this year, but Europe's recovery will continue to be slow, the OECD says......

Kuroda says Japan debt unsustainable
The Bank of Japan's new governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, warns that Japan's growing debt levels are "not sustainable"......

London Market Report
Intercontinental Hotels leads the FTSE higher after it announces the sale of its Park Lane hotel for 300m......

Ministers warned of possible 10% cut
The Treasury writes to government departments, warning most ministers that they will have to cut up to 10% of their budgets for the year 2015/16......

US airlines merger gets approval
The merger of American Airlines and US Airways is approved by a US bankruptcy judge, moving the two firms closer to forming the world's largest carrier......

Japan retail sales fall in February
Retail sales in Japan fell by more than forecast in February, figures show, underlining the challenge the new government faces to boost consumer demand......

Poorest 'face council tax rise'
More than two million of the poorest households in England will pay more council tax from next week, according to an anti-poverty think tank......

UK pensioners 'struggling' in Cyprus
Some UK pensioners living in Cyprus are struggling financially following a decision to suspend pension payments to bank accounts there......

South Korea lowers growth forecast
South Korea cuts its growth forecast for the second time in three months, amid a slowdown in its exports......

Banks told to raise an extra 25bn
Major UK banks must raise a total of 25bn in extra capital by the end of 2013 to guard against potential losses, the Bank of England (BoE) says......

Brics nations mull development bank
Leaders of the Brics nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - meeting in Durban discuss the formation of a new development bank......

Lloyd's of London back in profit
Insurance market Lloyd's of London is back in profit, despite paying one of the biggest claims in its history after Superstorm Sandy......

Prudential fined 30m over AIA bid
Insurance giant Prudential has been fined 30m by regulators over its 2010 bid to buy AIA, an Asian subsidiary of US insurer AIG......

Iberia's chief executive resigns
The chief executive of strike-hit Spanish airline Iberia, Rafael Sanchez-Lozano, has resigned, parent company IAG announces......

Leeds United secure new investment
Leeds United owners GFH Capital sell 10% of the club to Bahrain-based International Investment Bank......

Coventry reach Ricoh agreement
Coventry City will play their final three games of the season at the Ricoh Arena after a short-term deal is agreed......

Rio 2016 stadium indefinitely closed
A stadium in Rio de Janeiro, due to be used for the 2016 Olympics, is closed indefinitely because of problems with its roof......

VIDEO: PM welcomes launch of electric car
Prime Minister David Cameron has attended the production launch of Nissan's new electric car at its plant in Sunderland......

VIDEO: Dragon Jones sees big picture at Jessops
Dragons' Den star Peter Jones has spoken of his excitement as camera retailer Jessops re-opens 30 stores across the country......

VIDEO: 'Hardly anyone' in Cyprus village
Cypriot villages, whose economies are dependent on visitors and foreign tourists, have been hit hard by the country's ongoing financial crisis......

VIDEO: Cable calls for Centrica bonus restraint
The UK's energy companies should show "restraint" when awarding bonuses to their bosses, the business secretary has said......

AUDIO: Peers' concerns over EU transaction tax
The UK could end up having to collect a controversial EU tax on share transactions even though it isn't one of the countries which supports the move, according to members of the House of Lords......

VIDEO: Investment boost for UK oil field
A consortium of oil companies is to invest more than $500m (330m) in an appraisal drilling programme which could lead to further development of a giant North Sea field......

VIDEO: Cyprus banks prepare to reopen
Banks in Cyprus are to reopen amid tight security on Thursday, 10 days after they closed to prevent a bank run as a controversial bailout was negotiated......

VIDEO: GM hopes for NY auto show boost
General Motors has unveiled a number of new models at the New York Auto Show as the company aims to boost its fortunes following a government bailout......

Dividing up Mongolia's mining riches
Sharing out Mongolia's mining riches.....

Should Indonesia be the I in Brics?
Should Indonesia be the I in BRICS?.....

Why does Cyprus need capital controls?
Why Cyprus has brought in capital controls.....

U.S. Week Ahead: Jobs report could make or break market mojo
Mar 28 - With the S&P 500 set to break an all-time record, investors will focus on Friday's jobs report for more clues about the strength of the economy......

MuniLand: Muni tax exemption repeal seen back on the table
Mar 28 - Wells Fargo's head of Municipal Research Natalie Cohen says the tax exempt status of municipal bonds will be back on the table in Congress during the second half of 2013......

NY Car Show: China, faltering U.S. recovery the risk- CEOs
Mar 28 - Auto execs are optimistic for future growth in their industry, but the CEOs of Nissan, Jeep and others point to a slowdown in China and any bumps in the road of the U.S. recovery as the biggest risks.....

Wal-Mart's customers as delivery team? S&P's Gordon is leery
March 28 - S&P Capital IQ's Ian Gordon gives Wal-Mart credit for thinking outside the box- but here are many of issues with the business model, and getting customers to buy in to the idea. Bobbi Rebell reports......

NY Car Show: Cadillac CTS a "very serious" competitor to BMW
Mar 28 - BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch says his company could notch another year of record car sales, but cites risk of increased competition from Cadillac's new CTS and other luxury automakers......

Human ear fabrication shows potential for growth
March 28 - Researchers in Boston are in the final stages of testing a new technique to fabricate a fully functional human ear with a patient's own cells. Using scans, computer modelling and 3D printing, the scientists say their research heralds a new.....

Techquity: Personal Computers 1, Smartphones and Tablets 0
Mar 28 - Stocks of major PC makers outperform handheld gadget makers in first quarter......

Witness: Cypriots head for the banks, with a coffee
Mar. 28 - Cypriots Margarita Hadjitofi and Sonia Hamshaw gives us their view on the streets of Cyprus after banks re-open......

Roughcut: Cypriots without cash turn to soup kitchen
Mar. 28 - A six-day bank closure in Cyprus left many without any means of getting cash for groceries. In Nicosia, a soup kitchen provides people with food packages and expects to get busier in the coming days......

Capital control pain in Cyprus to last a month
March 28 - Banks reopen in Cyprus after almost two weeks, with customers venting their frustration over tight capital controls which allow them to withdraw just 300 euros per day. Ciara Sutton reports on the strict measures which the Cyprus governmen.....

Nissan Leaf electrifies UK car production
March 28 - As the first fully-electric Nissan Leaf rolls off the production line in Sunderland, Joanna Partridge finds out why car manufacturing is returning to the UK, and asks whether electric vehicles are the key to turning around sagging European.....

Europe Week Ahead: ECB to be quizzed on Cyprus Troika spat
Mar. 28 - The European Central Bank is likely to be quizzed about the row between members of the troika over the way the Cyprus bailout was handled. Euro zone economic data includes PMIs and unemployment......

Trading at Noon: Movers today:Pinnacle Foods & Metro PCS
Mar 28 - Shares of Pinnacle Foods soar 13 pct in NYSE debut, and the pressure is on T-Mobile to make a better offer for Metro PCS......

Breakingviews: Banker's dream deal?
March 28 - A Brazilian ethanol producer is launching what could be an IPO, convertible bond and LBO all at once. Jeffrey Goldfarb talks to Breakingviews columnists about this wonder of financial engineering......

Daily Digit: 1 million Z10s
March 28 - BlackBerry sells 1 million new Z10 phones and delivers a surprise quarterly profit. Bobbi Rebell reports......

Wealth Strategies: Despite market highs, earnings may miss
Mar 28 - With the Dow on pace for its best Q1 since 1998 and the S&P near a record close, LPL's John Canally says earnings may come in lower than expected in the second half, notching low single-digit growth......

Cyprus capital controls why they wont work
Mar. 28 - Cyprus has a huge black market so capital controls wont work and it will be years before controls are lifted, says Cypriot Kate Phylaktis, Professor of International Finance at Cass Business School.....

Cyprus: Hot Russian money isnt going where you think
Mar. 28 - Assorted tax havens will benefit as Russian money flees Cyprus, but the ultimate winner could be the City of London, says tax haven expert Nicholas Shaxson......

Cyprus investors hunt for new haven
March 28 - Hong Kong, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands could stand to benefit from the Cyprus banking crisis as depositors seek a new safe-haven for their money. Ivor Bennett reports......

Chinese "geeks" have something new to get excited about
Trending on Chinas twitter-like microblog site Weibo...chatter about a homegrown smartphone custom ROM called Smartisan, and its flamboyant creator Luo Yonghao. Anita Li reports on the online buzz......

Breakingviews: Capital controls a shambles
Hugo Dixon......

OECD's Padoan on economic outlook for G7 nations
Mar. 28 - OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan gives an update on the near-term economic outlook for G7 nations......

Wealth Strategies: Buy machinery cos., sell defense-Fidelity
Mar 28 - Lipper Award winner Tobias Welo of Fidelity says the recovery in housing and autos will benefit machinery and construction companies, but feels the fundamentals in defense stocks have peaked......

Wealth Strategies: Simple advice -- Don't buy bad bonds!
Mar 28 - Scott Colbert, director of fixed income at Lipper Award-winning Commerce Investment Advisors, says bond investors should be in anything buy U.S. Treasuries or mortgage securities......

Haruhiko KurodaTo Do list
Mar. 28 - Japan has a new central bank governor with new ideas. But will he be able to get rid of an old problem stubborn deflation? Yonggi Kang looks at Kurodas agenda ahead of next weeks policy meeting......

Wal-mart to use its customers to deliver products
Wal-Mart is examining a groundbreaking plan to use shoppers in its stores to make deliveries to consumers who have ordered the retailer's items online.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1c17ab/mf.g.....

Cyprus bail-out: banks reopen - live
The IMF said it will not be able to make a final decision on its contribution to funding Cyprus' bailout before the end of April, which threatens to delay the country receiving the aid.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.co.....

No triple-dip but the British patient still needs to stay in intensive care
Sometimes, the British economy seems to deserve its old nickname of the sick man of Europe.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1c17ac/mf.gif' border='0'/>.....

FCA chief criticised over handling of Bank of Ireland rate hike controversy
The incoming head of Britain's new market regulator has suffered a public rebuke from MPs over the handling of Bank of Ireland's controversial decision to hike mortgage rates.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/.....

Even now, after all that's happened to Cyprus, they're queuing up to join the euro
It defies belief that Poland and others are still keen on doomsday machine, says Jeremy Warner.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1c1267/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="htt.....

Apple is incomparably arrogant, says China
The Chinese government has accused Apple of being "incomparably arrogant" in the fiercest of a series of attacks on the iPhone maker.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1c1269/mf.gif' border='0'/>.....

Slovenia faces contagion from Cyprus as banking crisis deepens
Slovenia's borrowing costs rocket amid a festering financial crisis.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1b5d6d/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/16.....

Sale of InterContinental Park Lane lifts hopes of second shareholder return
Investors in InterContinental Hotels Group could be in line for another windfall after the group announced it would sell its flagship Park Lane hotel in London to a Middle Eastern investment group for 301.5m.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://t.....

Innocent Drinks founders back toys-by-post venture
Jam Jar, the investment fund run by the Innocent Drinks co founders, has backed an educational toys subscription business set up because "kids never receive parcels".<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/.....

House builders lay foundations for rally on hopes of market recovery
JP Morgan says Budget housing measures are 'game changing'.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1b3b48/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/16199099076.....

S&P 500 closes at all-time high
The benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 has closed at an all-time high of 1,569, beating by four points the previous record hit on October 9, 2007.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1c126a/mf.gif' .....

S&P 500 edges above all-time closing high
The benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 rose above its all-time closing high during trading on Friday, putting it on course for a new record.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1b3b4c/mf.gif' border.....

Lindt loses battle to protect gold Easter bunnies
Swiss chocolate maker loses 12-year court battle with German rival.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1b38c9/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/161.....

Plan to tackle 'computer says no' banking
Banks' "computer says no" approach to small businesses is being targeted with an "SME credit database" that the Government believes will help lenders make more informed decisions about prospective borrowers.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://te.....

Snow joke: How much does the weather really affect sales on the high street?
While families across Britain are preparing to spend Easter shivering amid the unseasonably cool temperatures, Ian Cheshire, the chief executive of DIY retailer Kingfisher, has found some cause for optimism.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://te.....

Tesco explores options for Fresh & Easy exit
Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke will travel to the US after the Easter weekend to try to strike a deal to allow the supermarket group to exit its loss-making Fresh & Easy business.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.....

Why are so many retailers gloomy about the bad weather?
While families across Britain are preparing to spend Easter shivering amid the unseasonably cool temperatures, Ian Cheshire, the chief executive of DIY retailer Kingfisher, has found some cause for optimism.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://te.....

Punch Taverns debt plan rejected by bondholders
A row over how to restructure Punch Taverns, the heavily indebted pubs group, has escalated after senior bondholders on Thursday rejected a plan put forward by management.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/56.....

Cyprus banks reopen amid simmering tension
Cypriots formed orderly queues outside the country's banks after they reopened for the first time in nearly two weeks on Thursday, confounding fears that there would be scenes of unrest and violence.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph......

Renters will take decades to save for home deposit
Average private renter takes 23 years to save for a deposit of 50,845.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1a6dfa/mf.gif' border='0'/>.....

RBS sued for 'untrue and misleading' rights issue in 2008
A group of 21 investors, including the pension funds for miners and electricity workers, are suing the Royal Bank of Scotland for millions of pounds of losses sustained in 2008.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/3272.....

The EU has detonated a bomb under the Cypriot financial industry, says former Laiki bank director
A week ago, Michalis Athanasiou was Laiki Bank's executive director of risk. Today, he is out of a job and the bank he once ran no longer exists.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a1a7be7/mf.gif' bo.....

Moleskine prices IPO in middle of range
Moleskine, the maker of the hardback black notebooks said to be favoured by Ernest Hemingway and travel writer Bruce Chatwin, has priced its initial public offering at 2.30 a share.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/.....

RPC falls 11pc after profit warning
Packaging company RPC Group has warned that profits and revenues will fall<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a197d72/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.co.....

Reckitt Benckiser sickens as FTSE perks up
Household goods giant hurt by concerns over potential stake sale.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2a197d73/mf.gif' border='0'/>.....