PRESS DIGEST - Financial Times - Nov 7

Financial Times

Headlines

AMERICA'S REAL TEST COMES AFTER POLLS

MYNERS TAKES AIM AT M&S PERFORMANCE

BHP BEGINS HUNT FOR NEW CHIEF

BLACK CHRISTMAS AS LONDON RUNS OUT OF CABS

AN END TO THE GOOD NEWS IN BRITAIN

FRANCE OFFERS BUSINESSES 20 BLN EURO TAX BREAK

PELTZ GIVES FRENCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON DANONE

JPMORGAN IN TALKS WITH THE SEC OVER MISCONDUCT CLAIMS

MORE CULLS EXPECTED AS INVESTMENT BANKS CUT COSTS

Overview

AMERICA'S REAL TEST COMES AFTER POLLS

The victor in the 2012 election faces an immediate test of leadership - to overcome the divisions between Democrats and Republicans and rekindle a spirit of optimism in a nation beaten down by the global financial crisis.

MYNERS TAKES AIM AT M&S PERFORMANCE

The performance of Marks and Spencer under current chief executive Marc Bolland has come under attack in a rare intervention by Lord Myners, the retailer's former chairman.

BHP BEGINS HUNT FOR NEW CHIEF

BHP Billiton has quietly started looking for a successor to Marius Kloppers, chief executive, in what could herald a further shake-up in the leadership of the global mining industry following a five-year period of stability.

BLACK CHRISTMAS AS LONDON RUNS OUT OF CABS

Taxi drivers and hire companies are warning of a worsening shortage of London black cabs that will coincide with the run-up to Christmas, traditionally the busiest time of year for the trade.

AN END TO THE GOOD NEWS IN BRITAIN

Recent surveys of Britain's manufacturing, construction and service sectors have pointed to worsening business conditions, industrial production has taken a tumble and the retailers' trade association has said September was a "false dawn" for the country's high streets.

FRANCE OFFERS BUSINESSES 20 BLN EURO TAX BREAK

François Hollande's Socialist government finally responded to months of pressure for urgent action to address France's sliding industrial competitiveness by announcing a 20 billion euro ($25 billion) tax break for companies.

PELTZ GIVES FRENCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON DANONE

Activist investor Nelson Peltz has for the first time taken his fight to France after acquiring a stake in Danone, one of the country's best-known companies.

JPMORGAN IN TALKS WITH THE SEC OVER MISCONDUCT CLAIMS

JPMorgan Chase is in advanced settlement talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of misconduct in the handling of mortgage-backed securities, according to people familiar with the matter.

MORE CULLS EXPECTED AS INVESTMENT BANKS CUT COSTS

European investment banks will cut staff costs by at least a fifth and shed tens of thousands of jobs in the next few years, consultants and recruitment experts estimate, as much tighter regulation and a weak economy prompts them to rethink their business models.