May 29 (Reuters) – The following are the top stories on the
business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified
these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
The Telegraph
LLOYDS ‘TO SELL $8.7 BLN U.S. MORTGAGE BONDS’
Lloyds Banking Group, which is 39 percent owned by
the Government, has reportedly put $8.7 billion of U.S. mortgage
bonds up for auction, as part of its effort to raise capital by
selling non-core assets.
()
PARTNERSHIP ASSURANCE TO FLOAT ‘AT UP TO 1.6 BLN STG’
Life insurer Partnership Assurance plans to float in London
at between 325 pence and 400 pence a share, valuing the company
at up to 1.6 billion pounds.
()
SALES FIZZ UP AT IRN-BRU MAKER AG BARR
AG Barr, the colourful soft drinks company behind
Irn-Bru, has shrugged off the drab spring weather to grow
revenue 2.4 percent since the end of January, as it waits for
competition authorities to rule on a potential tie-up with
Britvic.
()
The Guardian
WALMART PLEADS GUILTY TO DUMPING HAZARDOUS WASTE IN
CALIFORNIA
Wal-mart Stores Inc, which has endured a year of bad
publicity around its US labour relations and working conditions
in its overseas supply chain, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to
dumping hazardous waste in numerous sites in California. The
retail giant will now pay a fine of $81 million to settle
misdemeanour charges around the issue.
()
‘BIG FOUR’ BANKS CUT 189,000 JOBS WORLDWIDE IN FIVE YEARS
Figures compiled by Bloomberg show that Royal Bank of
Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays
and HSBC will have cut their global headcount
by 24 percent to a nine-year low of 606,000, compared with their
pre-crisis peak of 795,000 in 2008.
()
The Times
IT’S PARTY TIME: AMERICA IS GRIPPED BY WAVE OF OPTIMISM
Surging U.S. house prices and the strongest consumer
optimism since the Lehman Brothers crash helped to drive stock
prices to fresh records on Tuesday as America’s economy
continues to weather the harsh fiscal clampdown.
()
UNITED STATES CLOSES ‘BANK OF CHOICE FOR CRIMINALS’
Law enforcement authorities have shut down Liberty Reserve
claiming that it was the “bank of choice for the criminal
underworld” and had been involved in laundering more than $6
billion since 2006.
()
OBESITY DRUGS FIRM SWELLS AFTER BEING SWALLOWED BY
ASTRAZENECA
The rise in obesity around the world has prompted
AstraZeneca to buy an American pharmaceutical company
that specialises in diseases associated with the condition.
()
The Independent
NEWS CORP UNVEILS LOGO THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO MURDOCHS
The news-based News Corp business that will
encompass the existing conglomerate’s publishing interests when
it splits into two at the end of June will adopt a logo based on
the handwriting of Rupert Murdoch and his father, Keith.
()
EMBATTLED DWELL EYES SALE OF THE FURNITURE CHAIN
The upmarket furniture retailer Dwell is working with
advisers to explore its options, including a possible sale of
the business.
()
DATA REVEALS TOP FOUR AUDITORS ARE IMPROVING
The proposed regulatory clampdown of the “big four”
accountants’ dominance over the listed audit market was
undermined yesterday with findings that suggest a massive
improvement in the quality of their work.
