Financial News

By Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's fourth-biggest bank HBOS named 38-year-old Andy Hornby as its new chief executive on Thursday, promoting the high-flying head of its UK retail business to replace James Crosby from July. Hornby, who joined Britain's biggest mortgage lender in 1999 and has long been tipped for the top job, told Reuters his strategy would be "more of the same going forward". He will be the youngest chief executive of a British banking group and one of the youngest to ...

Robert Lea, Evening Standard5 January 2006 BMI British Midland has denied it is in crisis after official figures revealed it has been losing thousands of passengers while rivals are taking advantage of the revolution that has seen millions more Britons taking to the air every year. GOING DOWN: Passenger numbers are falling at BMI WANT TO KNOW MORE? DEAL FINDER: Travel insurance DEAL FINDER: Find the best card for overseas use TRAVEL: Find great travel deals OTHER STORIES ...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Rapidly growing companies can quickly disappoint, so it's important for momentum-driven investors to have a grip on risk control in an effort to keep control. MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE  IN INVESTING Supreme Court may be all business this year  IN MUTUAL FUNDS SEC, Chamber set to spar again over mutual-fund rule  IN LIFE & MONE ...

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) - Merrill Lynch, sizing up the 2006 equities market, said on Wednesday the once-sleepy utilities sector looks poised to outpace the broad market for a third consecutive year. "Utilities posted a second straight year of outperformance relative to the S&P 500. We believe utilities have at least an even chance of outperforming again in 2006," Merrill Lynch & Co. a ...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Merrill Lynch, sizing up the 2006 equities market, said on Wednesday the once-sleepy utilities sector looks poised to outpace the broad market for a third consecutive year.   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler post lower year-end sales CORRECT: U.S. November factory orders rise 2.5% How much discounting in holiday sales, ana ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation that consolidation in the life insurance sector may take off this year boosted stocks on Wednesday, led by Prudential (PRU.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , the industry's favourite takeover candidate, which hit a 3-1/2 year high. "All the insurers are in vogue at the moment because everyone expects there to be some consolidation this year," said one dealer. Prudential, the second-largest listed player, closed up 2.2 percent at 572 pence, valuing the group at around ...

Alstom continued its return to favour with investors as the troubled French industrial group announced it was finally exiting the shipbuilding business. // The company’s shares rose 8.4 per cent to €53.20, after more than doubling in value last year. Yesterday’s rise in Alstom’s share price came despite news that it would invest €350m in the loss-making St Nazaire and Lorient shipyards in wester ...

Simon Lambert, This is Money4 January 2006 HOUSE prices are the topic that have come to dominate dinner party debates across Britain during the past five years. POTENTIAL BUYER: Will someone pay more for your home now than at the start of 2005? WANT TO KNOW MORE? REPORT: Will you be able to sell in 2006? GUIDES: Selling your home tips DEAL FINDER: Best mortgage rates READER SERVICE: Share dealing BLOG: 'Don't ignore mortgage statements' OTHER STORIES Beware the banks'  ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation that consolidation in the life insurance sector may take off this year boosted stocks on Wednesday, led by Prudential, the industry's favourite takeover candidate, which hit a 3-1/2 year high. "All the insurers are in vogue at the moment because everyone expects there to be some consolidation this year," said one dealer. At 10:45 a.m., life insurers were among the  ...

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian export and technology shares moved to center stage Wednesday, leading an across-the-board equities rally.   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS U.S. stocks end sharply higher on rates hopes GM slides as analyst sees smaller health-cost savings Google at $600: Cheap or expensive? Zannino named Dow Jones CEO Free! Sign up here to receive our Taxin ...