Abbey National owner Santander has reported profits for the first six months of the year up by 6 percent compared with the same time last year.
If a one off figure was removed from the figures then the actual profit generated by Santander, best known in the UK as the owner of the Abbey National, would have been a much higher 22 percent. This figure is also higher than analysts had predicted, although shares still traded down slightly on the day.
Santander are very much a global business, with connections to most parts of the world. This enables them to find many more opportunities to create profitable business since they are not tied to just one market. However even the Abbey National delivered good results for them, something that could not always have been expected with the economic situation currently facing UK businesses.
The annual listing of great places to work in the UK now includes Admiral in the top 10, the only business from the financial services sector to be found there.
It has been a reward for all their hardwork it seems, since Admiral also received the special status of laureate because it has been in the top 50 for the last 5 years. One of the key elements of any great place to work is trust between employees and managers, something Admiral has been commended for.
This fantastic achievement is sure to be seen as just reward for all the staff at the company whether they work in the Admiral car insurance department or any other part of the business. They have all worked together to make the organisation what it is today.
Citibank parent Citigroup is understood to be under investigation by the financial regulator of the United States with regard to some potential breaches of securities law.
The issue revolves around the marketing and selling of what are called auction rate securities. These are a type of bond, most commonly used by municipal authorities when looking to generate funds and the question being looked into is whether the actual risks were understated by Citibank.
No comments have been forthcoming from Citibank so far regarding their discussions with the regulators. Instead they have a statement that says they have worked closely with all parties to make everything go smoothly.
