LONDON (Reuters) – A financial trading tax (FTT) planned by a group of euro zone nations could leave major banks, its main target, relatively unscathed while less nimble smaller trading houses, pension funds and asset managers bear the brunt.

Germany, France and nine other countries are pushing ahead with the tax on trades in stocks, bonds and derivatives, keen to show voters they can claw back some of the taxpayers’ money used to bail out banks during the 2007-2009 financial crisis. ID:nL6N0AR2K5]

LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Twice as many London bankers fear
the dreaded “donut”, or zero bonus, in the current pay season
compared to a year ago, according to a survey released on
Monday.

Financial services recruitment firm Astbury Marsden said a
poll of bankers in London showed 22 percent are not expecting a
bonus of any kind from pay awards covering 2012 performance,
compared to 11 percent a year ago.

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) – BNP Paribas,
Commerzbank and Santander are among a growing
number of banks wanting to repay emergency loans to the European
Central Bank to distinguish themselves from weaker rivals.

Some 200 billion euros or more is expected to be paid back
by European banks in the next few months, bankers and analysts
estimate, out of 1 trillion euros doled last year to ease a
funding crisis.

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) – The former chief executive of UBS (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) blamed “mercenaries” for its role in the global interest-rate rigging scandal that has further undermined the Swiss bank’s once venerable reputation.

UBS was fined a record $1.5 billion (931.8 million pounds) last month for manipulating Libor interest rates, the latest in a string of debacles – including a $2.3 billion rogue-trading loss and a tax avoidance row with the United States – that have rocked Switzerland’s largest lender.

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) – British lawmakers accused former bosses of Switzerland’s UBS (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) of “staggering” ignorance on Thursday for failing to uncover widespread interest rate rigging at the bank.

UBS was fined a record $1.5 billion last month for manipulating Libor interest rates, the latest in a string of scandals including a $2.3 billion rogue-trading loss and a tax avoidance row with the United States that have shredded the group’s once venerable reputation.

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland’s UBS (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) has yet to purge itself fully of the culture of arrogance that put it at the centre of a global interest rate scandal, its investment banking chief said on Wednesday.

The once-venerable Swiss bank was fined a record $1.5 billion (937.09 million pounds) last month for manipulating Libor interest rates, the latest in a string of scandals including a $2.3 billion rogue-trading loss and a damaging tax avoidance row with the United States.

LONDON/ZURICH, Jan 9 (Reuters) – UBS has yet to
fully purge itself of a global interest rate scandal that has
cost the Swiss bank its reputation and put it at risk of a wave
of costly civil suits, its investment banking chief said on
Wednesday.

The once-venerable institution was fined a record $1.5
billion last month for manipulating Libor interest rates, the
latest in a string of scandals including a $2.3 billion
rogue-trading loss and a damaging tax avoidance row with the
United States.

LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) – French and German bank shares rose
on Monday after regulators softened draft rules aimed at
preventing a Lehman Brothers-style collapse that critics said
threatened to delay a European economic recovery.

Global regulators on Sunday gave banks four more years and
greater flexibility to improve their funding positions, due to
fears that an earlier plan for new liquidity rules would have
made them reluctant to lend, particularly in Europe where credit
conditions are already tough.

LONDON (Reuters) – French and German bank shares rose on Monday after regulators softened draft rules aimed at preventing a Lehman Brothers-style collapse that critics said threatened to delay a European economic recovery.

Global regulators on Sunday gave banks four more years and greater flexibility to improve their funding positions, due to fears that an earlier plan for new liquidity rules would have made them reluctant to lend, particularly in Europe where credit conditions are already tough.

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) – Europe’s credit-starved economies
look set to be the main beneficiaries of plans to relax new
rules and give lenders more time to build up their cash buffers.

The Basel Committee of global regulators will on Sunday give
banks longer to comply with stricter new rules on the amount of
liquid assets they hold, a regulatory source said on Thursday.
Further tweaks could also be seen.