The leaders of Germany and France on Monday set out plans for a bilateral summit next week, pursuing an elusive solution to the euro-zone debt crisis amid further signs of weakening in the European economy.
Large financial groups were ordered to shell out more than £160m in compensation to customers in 2011 as the UK Financial Services Authority cracked down on mistreatment of retail investors by some of the UK’s best-known firms.
Moves by the Federal Reserve to flood the world with dollars are doing little to dent the currency’s value, bolstering the appeal of U.S. assets at a time when the government needs the support of foreign investors the most.
US shareholders in Lloyds at the time of its takeover of HBOS have launched lawsuits against the bank, its former chairman, Sir Victor Blank, and ex-chief executive Eric Daniels.
Private equity groups and financiers are expecting a strong start for the US leveraged loan market in 2012 as a light pipeline for new issues creates an opportunity to refinance portfolio companies and pay dividends to sponsors.