All articles by Claire Hack
Claire Hack
Enter the dragon
The equipment finance market in China is one of the few across the globe to remain a source of significant investment potential, as the countrys seemingly unstoppable economic growth carries on in the face of numerous setbacks.
A different league
There is growing optimism in the Austrian and Hungarian leasing markets as certain segments flourish, and expectations turn more positive The Austrian and Hungarian leasing markets remain unpredictable as unemployment is still high and fears mount over whether they will survive a second recession but the general outlook is far from bleak.
Ukranian leasing recovers
The Ukrainian leasing market is on the road to recovery in 2011, and optimism is certainly returning, said Roman Ivanenko, deputy head of the board at the Ukrainian Union of Lessors (UUL) and chairman of the board of Euro Leasing.
Ryder acquires Hill Hire in deal worth £154m
Commercial vehicle hire company Ryder has expanded its UK business with the acquisition of truck rental firm Hill Hire from Lloyds Banking Group, in a deal worth £154m (172m). Lloyds, which ran Hill Hire within its asset finance business, said the sale is part of its plan to get rid of non-core assets Regulators told the bank to reduce its balance sheet and sell off assets in the wake of the financial crisis.
Car fleet on bumpy road to recovery in Europe
The European car fleet sector is recovering from the severe battering it received when theglobal economy went into meltdown Recovery in the car fleet sector remains relatively uneven in Europe, as some markets return to health more quickly than others.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get industry leading news, data and analysis delivered to your inbox
Latest Solar3 client live
UK-based software provider Copernicus has launched the second live installation of Solar3, its third generation browser-based asset finance software. The launch was the result of a project with a major British high street bank with an international presence, which began in September. Copernicus founder and managing director Allen Jones said: “This was a hugely complex project, to take over from a 20-year-old legacy system and replace numerous interfaces to other systems.”
BAE sells leasing arm for $187m
UK aircraft manufacturer BAE Systems has sold its regional aircraft fleet and asset management business to Fortress Investment Group of the US for $187m (132.4m). The business being sold, BAE Systems Asset Management, leases regional aircraft to 16 lessees, including airlines and investors, in 11 countries.
Ryder acquires Hill Hire
Commercial vehicle hire company Ryder has expanded its reach in the UK with the acquisition of truck rental firm Hill Hire from Lloyds Banking Group, in a deal worth £154 million (172m). Lloyds, which ran Hill within its asset finance business, has said the sale is part of its plan to get rid of non-core assets
HPFS to fund cloud computing projects
HP is to provide up to $2bn (1.36bn) of financing for clients planning to move into cloud computing, via its leasing and asset management subsidiary HP Financial Services (HPFS). The financing will be available to qualified customers looking to acquire and implement solutions from HPs Cloud portfolio.
Fleet Logistics hires senior account manager
European fleet management company Fleet Logistics has appointed Steve Hackett as senior account manager within its UK account management team. Hackett, 47, has been in the fleet industry since he was just 17, and most recently worked at Leasedrive Velo as account manager at the Bracknell-based business. At Fleet Logistics, Hackett is to be responsible for working with large UK fleet customers, typically with European or international operations.