Author Archives: Darren Marchal

BNP Paribas drags European shares down

Shares in BNP Paribas on Tuesday plummeted nine percent to €23.63 after a drop of 12 percent in an earlier session. The decrease followed allegations that the lender could be facing a possible credit rating downgrade. Several French banks remain under pressure by markets amid worries over Greek debt exposure. Stocks had opened higher in…

UK banks hit with reforms

The Independent Commission on Banking published its final report on Monday proposing that Britain’s banks need to “ring-fence” by disconnecting their retail operations from the riskier investment banking arms. Banks were given until 2019 to implement the radical reforms, and could cost between £4bn and £7bn according to the report. ICB’s chairman, John Vickers, said:…

Obama to speak out; Republicans rage

Markets remained stable on Thursday as investors await President Obama’s speech on job proposals detailing plans of boosting employment before a joint session of Congress. President Obama is said to put forward a jobs package of an estimated $300bn amid US voter frustration over the country’s 9.1 percent unemployment. The plan will outline measures to…

Saab files for bankruptcy protection

Swedish car manufacturer Saab on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors amid mounting debt and production stoppages in a last minute attempt to save the brand. The filing at the Swedish court includes its subsidiaries Saab Powertrain and Saab Tools but excludes overseas subsidiaries and Saab Parts. The car maker signed a financing agreement…

How To Buy Gold

It’s hard to find safe investments these days, especially with the economy always on edge. A classic safe-haven investment throughout history has been precious metals, or more specifically, gold. But there can be drawbacks to investing in gold and there are multiple ways to do so. The following article will cover all the different ways…

Lawsuits over mortgage debt rattle bank shares

European banking shares on Friday dropped sharply in anticipation of US jobs data and a published report that the Federal Housing Finance agency is planning to file a lawsuit against “more than a dozen” banks over alleged misrepresentation in mortgage backed securities. Alleged targets of the planned lawsuit are said to include JP Morgan Chase,…