The market for warehouses over 5,000 square metres recorded a strong activity in Germany throughout 2011 and returned to growth in France and in the United Kingdom. The disparity between second hand and new premises is widening in most countries since demand is mainly turned towards high-grade premises. According to a BNP Paribas Real Estate research, even though the market has been vigorous during the past few quarters, supply levels…
By Carlos Díaz Güell, in Madrid | The deadline is January 20 for EU financial entities to submit to the European regulator their specific plans to comply with the capital demands determined by the European Banking Authority (EBA). For the Spanish entities, this demand amounts to €26bn, an amount that does not take into account certain peculiarities of the Spanish financial system such as the convertible bonds which amount to almost €10bn. The European…
Santander Consumer Finance has signed in Hefei, Anhui Province, an agreement with Chinese car manufacturer Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd (JAC) to create an independent company to provide auto financing in the Chinese market. Under the accord, Santander Consumer Finance and JAC will each have a 50% stake in the new company and will each name three members to the board of directors. The consumer finance unit of Banco Santander…
MADRID | The president of BBVA, Francisco González, commented at a press conference in Seul during the inauguration of a new branch in the Korean capital, that the worst part of European debt crisis is already over. González’s statement did not go unnoticed in any of the Spanish economic newspapers. “Francisco González pointed out that there would be no problems in the implementation of measures agreed during the meeting of European leaders…
LONDON | The average 2011 annual pay for directors of small companies, with a turnover of less than £5mn a year, has fallen by £5,000 from the levels of five years ago (£87,500 in 2007). In the last 12 months alone, their average pay has fallen by 15% or over £14,000 taking their total pay package to £82,500 (in 2010 it was £96,568). Directors of larger organisations, with a turnover of…
MADRID | The Spanish investment website Consenso del Mercado reported about the Spanish Treasury’s positive results in placing its bonds on Tuesday. Spain’s public Treasury sold over €4.941 billion in bonds at 12 and 18 months, more than expectations marked, at considerably lower rates than in previous auctions. This means that Spain has passed the first market test after the agreements that were reached last week in Brussels. With this sale, the…
Augure announced on Tuesday the acquisition of iMente Global, a company based in Girona (Catalonia). iMente provides online news, blogs and social media monitoring services for organisations of all sizes to analyse and share all the information and social mentions relevant to their brands, products, industry and competitors. Augure will integrate iMente’s listening capabilities to propose the first cross-channel PR and Reputation Management platform. This unified cloud-based solution will offer…
China suppliers are boosting overseas shipments to emerging markets amid slowing orders from the EU as the region tackles its debt crisis. This is according to a survey of 581 exporters by Global Sources. In the months ahead, 42 pc of survey respondents expect to strengthen their footholds in South and Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Craig Pepples, Global Sources’ President of Corporate Affairs, said: “China suppliers are already taking proactive measures to…