Lunchtime Links: ICAP is dumping equities staff, Morgan Stanley's hiring them

These are not good times for ICAP's 114 equities staff. As of today, it emerges that they are surplus to requirement; ICAP has decided to leave cash equity trading to the big boys.

Fortunately, however, one equities headhunter says they should have absolutely no problem finding a new job elsewhere. "They will get new jobs very easily," he tells us. "BarCap are still looking to build their cash equities business. Unicredit and Citigroup may also hire them."

ICAP's unwanted could also try Morgan Stanley, which according to Financial News, 'might hire' another 60-100 equities traders this year. It also says that BarCap plans to hire another 60-80 European equities staff in 2010, without giving the source.

Citigroup wants to double the size of its hedge fund consulting team. (BusinessWeek)

RBS wants to double its Asian private banking staff. (Bloomberg)

UBS wants to increase Asian private banking headcount by 40%. (Reuters)

Standard Chartered is moving its chief executive responsible for all markets except Asia to Dubai. (Financial Times)

Nomura continues to haemorrhage people in Asia. (Bloomberg)

Tax-efficient mega compensation at Goldman Sachs. (Financial Times)

Darling wants global banks tax; Cameron wants US-style banking levy. (Financial Times)

It's ok, the City of London won't move to Frankfurt - Germany wants a bax levy too. (ABC News)

Pile this on top of the bonus tax and the 50p top rate income tax and Great Britain doesn't look like a great place to do business. This is payback time. (Independent)

Bob Diamond could get 60m. (Guardian)

But only 20m for last year. (The Times)

Blankfein got 9.8m for last year. (NYPost)

Diamond is worth considerably more than Varley - and yet Diamond felt it appropriate to load up with more performance-related remuneration. (BBC)

From fixed income sales to air traffic control. (NY Times)

"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." (Financial Times)