U.K. & Ireland
Lloyds Banking Group Expects to Make a Profit in 2010 on `Strong' Trading Lloyds Banking Group Plc, the
U.K.’s biggest mortgage lender, said it expects to return to
profit this year because of lower bad loans than forecast. The
shares soared.
U.K. Stocks Pare Advance; FTSE 100 Index Rises 0.2 Percent In London U.K. stocks pared their advance
after India’s central bank unexpectedly raised interest rates
for the first time since July 2008.
FTSE 100 Benchmark Advances, Led by Banks as Lloyds Banking Shares Surge U.K. stocks climbed as the FTSE 100
Index extended a 20-month high, led by a rally in banks after
Lloyds Banking Group Plc soared on expectations it will return
to profit this year.
RBS Cuts Loans to Clean Energy Companies in Snub to Brown's Green Goals Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc,
historically the biggest commercial lender for renewable energy
projects, has scaled back loans to the industry since the U.K.
government bailed out the company in 2008.
Rogers Says He's Shunning `Pretty Bad' Sterling, Doubts He'll Ever Own It Investor Jim Rogers, chairman of
Singapore-based Rogers Holdings who co-founded the Quantum Fund
with George Soros, said he is shunning sterling because of the
U.K.’s trade deficit.
Three-Month Dollar Libor Increases By Most Since September on Tax Payments The cost of borrowing in dollars
between banks for three months in London rose the most since
September as U.S. companies liquidated funds parked in the
banking system to meet a tax deadline.
Fitch Says the Sovereign Credit Profiles of U.K., U.S. Have Deteriorated The global financial crisis and
recession have triggered a deterioration in the credit profiles
of AAA-rated countries, which includes the U.S. and U.K., Fitch
Ratings said.
Battersea Power Station's Owners Seek to Sell a Stake to Fund Regeneration The Irish owners of London’s
Battersea Power Station, Europe’s largest brick building, want
to sell a minority stake to help finance the 5.5 billion-pound
($8.3 billion) regeneration project.
Sentance Sees `Risk' Global Shocks Could Prompt Double-Dip U.K. Recession Bank of England policy maker Andrew
Sentance said there is a chance that Britain may return to
recession if there were new shocks from the world economy.
Barclays Says It Raised Pay for Executives by 10% in 2009 as Profit Gained Barclays Plc, the U.K.’s second
largest bank, increased compensation paid to directors and other
managers by 10 percent 30.5 million pounds ($46 million) last
year.
British Airways Three-Day Strike to Go Ahead as Talks Collapse, Union Says British Airways Plc’s 12,000 cabin
crew will strike from midnight after last-ditch talks aimed at
resolving a dispute over pay and staffing levels collapsed.
McLaren Aims 200 MPH Supercar at Ferrari Owners Seeking Something Faster McLaren Group said its 200-mile-
per-hour MP4 supercar will be pitched to owners of Ferraris,
Lamborghinis and other luxury marques seeking to add an even
faster model to their fleet.
RMT Says 54% of Signal Staff Voted for Strike, 77% Voted for Other Action The U.K.’s RMT rail union said
signal and supervisory staff voted 54 percent in favour of
strike action and 77 percent for action short of a strike in a
dispute over safety and working conditions. Turnout was 71
percent, the union said in an e-mailed statement today.