HSBC awarded its chief executive £5.9m in bonuses and longer-term incentives for 2011 as the bank revealed a 6 per cent fall in underlying pre-tax profit for the year.
Olympus risks foreign backlash with new board line-up
Japan’s Olympus Corp has proposed a new board of directors, but the line-up could face a hostile reception from foreign investors when it goes to a shareholder vote.
Yields on Italian debt fell to their lowest levels in more than a year after Rome sold more than €12bn in short-term bills in a further sign of improving investor sentiment towards the eurozone country’s debt.
S&P 500 rises to highest level since 2008 on economic reports
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose above its highest close since 2008 as consumer confidence and home sales reports bolstered confidence in the world’s largest economy.
