Carlyle Group, the world’s second-largest manager of investment alternatives to stocks and bonds, said fourth-quarter profit more than tripled as the value of its fund holdings increased and the firm sold assets at a profit.

A batch of negative company news gave US investors something to fret over.

MBNA’s credit card business in Ireland last year returned to profit after slashing costs, with 40% of its workforce losing their jobs.

The future of troubled HMV could become a little clearer this week after reports that an American vulture fund is bailing it out.

An American vulture fund is reportedly circling stricken HMV in a move that could see it become one of the retailer’s biggest creditors.

Heavy hitting buyers from abroad are taking us on and buying heavily discounted Irish loan books. Surveyor Margaret Kelleher, a director at Lisney Cork, looks at what’s been going on in the commercial loan market

US investment firm JC Flowers&, which was short-listed last year in the shelved sale of Irish Life, is still interested in buying the country’s largest life insurer, an executive at the firm said.

Banks based in this country still have a considerable amount of assets to dispose of although any sale in the current market environment would mean heavy losses as prices remain at distressed levels.

Fears for the future of 650 staff at credit card company MBNA have been allayed after its owner, Bank of America, managed to sell part of the business as a going concern.

Some 250 jobs have been secured in Co Leitrim after confirmation that a buyer has been found for the MBNA credit card company based in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The government has confirmed that no buyer has been found yet for Irish Life and Permanent.

GREAT-West Lifeco, Canada’s second-largest insurer, is the leading candidate to acquire Irish Life & Permanent’s life assurance unit, according to two people familiar with the matter.

THE country’s biggest mortgage lender, Irish Life and Permanent (IL&P), said arrears have risen 24% while loan losses have more than doubled.

JC FLOWERS & Co is among five bidders vying to buy Irish Life & Permanent’s life assurance unit, the biggest insurer of its kind in the country.