Financial News

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The world's fifth biggest gold producer Gold Fields Ltd (GFIJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) has not made a bid for platinum producer Lonmin (LMI.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and is not in talks with the firm, a source close to Gold Fields said Monday. "The story that Gold Fields has made an offer, it's absolutely not true, and there are no negotiations currently going on ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Leading shares opened slightly up on Monday, bucking slim losses elsewhere in Europe, supported by gains in heavyweight oil stocks as the price of crude soared and by lingering merger talk. "M&A will continue to dictate the pace, with financials moving on the back of Bradford & Bingley (BB.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Northern Rock (NRK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and th ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's banks are set to report record annual profits of over 35 billion pounds in the next few weeks, as booming corporate and overseas earnings put a gloss on flat or modest domestic retail growth. Barclays and Lloyds TSB will kick off results from the big banks this week and are expected by analysts to show profits were lifted by corporate divisions but suffered from highe ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Standard Life, Europe's largest mutual life assurer, said on Sunday it was not aware of any approaches to buy the business, playing down newspaper speculation of a takeover before its planned summer flotation. "At the present time, there have been no approaches as far as I know," a spokesman for the company said. The Independent on Sunday newspaper said senior industry figures ...