A GREAT meal out often has one best dish, a mouth-watering triumph whose memory outlasts all others.

PERCANA Group has secured a major new client contract with Pearl Group, one of the top 10 British Life Assurers.

KENTZ, the Clonmel-based international engineering company, has reported a 10% increase in first-half profits on turnover that was flat over the period.

Friends Provident shares opened higher today after it was reported insurance entrepreneur Clive Cowdery had the life assurer in his sights.

Bradford & Bingley today said it rejected plans put forward by investment group Resolution to pump £400m (€505m) into the embattled UK mortgage lender.

London’s FTSE 100 Index fell more than 1% today after inflation concerns and a poor opening session in New York dampened sentiment.

UK life and pensions group Friends Provident said today that it is to axe around 600 jobs as part of a group-wide overhaul and cost-cutting drive.

Investors returned to banking stocks today as the London market ended a three-day losing streak.

Standard Life shares staged a relief rally today on news of its withdrawal from the bidding battle for closed life insurance firm Resolution.

INSURER Standard Life is understood to be working to restructure its£4.9 billion (€6.9bn) offer for Resolution Life after its bid was dramatically trumped on Friday.

Standard Life’s £4.9bn (€7bn) bid to land insurer Resolution was dealt a major blow today after the firm’s largest shareholder stepped in with a higher offer on a dramatic day in the City.

UK insurer Resolution today tore up its plans for a merger with Friends Provident after agreeing a £4.9bn (€6.9bn) offer from rival Standard Life.

London’s blue-chips made firm advances today as financial and housebuilding stocks returned to form.

A return to form for mortgage lenders and housebuilders helped keep the FTSE 100 Index in positive territory today.

The London market held in positive territory today as takeover talk added to higher oil and metal prices in giving blue chips a fillip.

Star Wars duo Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen have been voted the movie couple with the most unconvincing on-screen chemistry.

Standard Life emerged today as a possible gatecrasher to the merger of insurers Friends Provident and Resolution, after reports suggested the Edinburgh-based firm could be mulling a move on one of the parties.

Life insurance firm Pearl Group could muscle in on an £8.6bn (€12.7bn) merger between rivals Resolution and Friends Provident, it was reported today.

LIFE insurance firm Pearl Group could muscle in on an £8.6 billion merger between rivals Resolution and Friends Provident.

British insurer and fund manager HHG was back in the black at the half-year stage today as it recovered from losses of £902m (€1.3bn) last year.

Willie Mullins today confirmed that Florida Pearl has emerged fit and well from his historic victory at Leopardstown yesterday and will now bid to win the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup at the fourth attempt.

Australian financial services group AMP today said it remained on target to demerge its loss-making UK business by the end of this year.

Florida Pearl, the outstanding favourite to win today’s Hennessy Gold Cup, finished a disappointing fourth place at Leopardstown today.

Florida Pearl is set to return to action in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday week.