All articles by Claire Hack
Claire Hack
IT financing expected to continue at high rate in upturn
The high rate of penetration in IT finance which emerged as a result of the global economic crisis is expected to continue even as the economy begins to recover and capital constraints begin to ease, finance providers have said. A number of channel partners of major captive Cisco Capital said during a recent webinar that businesses have changed their approach to investing in technology, especially as the need to refresh regularly becomes more pressing. Alison Moore, operations director at Birmingham-based Interactive Telecom, which works primarily in the SME space, said: Leasing provides customers with the facility to upgrade easily.
Politics playing havoc with projects
International legal practice Norton Rose has been involved in various rail finance projects globally, including advising Porterbrook in respect of passenger rolling stock for UK operator Southern Railways, valued at more than £800m.
Asset finance “could help green economy”
The Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) has spoken out on the importance of asset finance companies in financing a low carbon economy. The FLAs comments come in the wake of the publication of the Green Investment Bank Commissions plans for delivering Britains low carbon future. In a report commissioned by the Conservative party, the Commission states Britain will need a green bank to meet its goals to cut carbon emissions and reduce fossil fuel usage by 2020.
DLL takes on energy sector
As part of a special report on renewables offerings among Europes lessors, Claire Hack examines De Lage Landens expansion plans for its solar energy finance team. Dutch lessor De Lage Landen (DLL) has therefore set up its own dedicated renewable energy finance project team, culling three experts in the field from HSH Nordbank, and began work in January of this year.
Rumour and conjecture rife
The rail finance market in the UK is still in an uncertain position, according to those in the know. Few companies are willing to speak on the record about their activities and much is affected by rumour and conjecture, but the consensus seems to be that, by and large, lessors in the UK are not in as strong a position as their counterparts in continental Europe.
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Leasing could benefit from biogas revolution
This was the message given to Leasing Life by long-standing Lib Dem peer and former energy spokesman Lord Redesdale last month, in the run-up to the UKs first trade show dedicated to the anaerobic digestion industry. He believes that the UK is ready to follow in the footsteps of Germany, currently the world leader in biogas production, by building 1,000 new anaerobic digestion (AD) plants worth up to 5bn within the next 10 years.
Non-Roscos making their mark in UK rail finance
For Close Leasing, which only recently entered the rail finance market, and at time of writing had not yet written any business, the aim is not to seek to be lead arrangers in train lease deals, but to become sub-participants in existing transactions. Close director Paul Bartley said: We understand the major banks, who take on the role of lead arranger for transactions ranging from say £100m 120m to £2bn, tend to have a hold limit where they retain a proportion of the debt themselves and sell down blocks of the balance to a range of sub-participant banks.
Freight lessors resilient
Like the UK, and indeed the rest of the world, rail finance in continental Europe has suffered as a result of the economic downturn, but this is most visible in the financing of freight stock, rather than the curtailment of major passenger transport projects.
LVM reports upsurge in post-tax profits
Broker Tower Leasing saw its turnover reduced by more than a quarter in 2009, but its operating profit rise from £231,000 (276,752) to £292,000 over the year.
Lessors to benefit from opening up of market
The rail market in continental Europe is not dominated by a handful of roscos, but populated with a large number of funders writing business across a range of countries