Why an independent Scotland could be faced with a huge £450m NHS funding gap September 16, 2014 Will the NHS in Scotland really be better off, as Alex Salmond has promised, if Scotland votes for independence on 18 September? Civil servants seem to think it will face a huge funding gap. It was reported today that the government has outlined a radical cost-cutting plan for NHS Scotland, presented to a meeting [...]
Publicis share price jumps as management shake up after omnicom merger failure sees Maurice Levy stay on until 2017 September 16, 2014 Publicis Group's share price jumped 1.4 per cent in early trading after chief executive and chairman Maurice Levy announced his intention to stay in charge of the world’s third largest advertising group until 2017. The 72 year-old’s term at the helm, which began in 1987, was expected to come to an end in 2015, however Levy [...]
Britain’s biggest companies call on Westminster for fundamental business rates reform September 16, 2014 Some of Britain's biggest businesses including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco, General Motors and Tata Steel have called on the government to rip up the current business rate regime claiming the current system is “a critical problem for all of British business”. The controversial tax delivers around £25bn to the Treasury every year, but [...]
A good year for Dyson: Profits up and robots in the pipeline September 16, 2014 The improving global economy and an increase in exports to China combined to push up Dyson's underlying profits by 5 per cent to £382m in 2013. An increase in popularity of its cordless vacuum cleaners also had a positive impact, raising turnover to £1.3bn from £1.2 in 2012. And it doesn't stop there [...]
Inflation falls again, to 1.5 per cent September 16, 2014 The Consumer Prices Index fell to 1.5 per cent in the year to August, down from 1.6 per cent the month before, as low wages and pressures on recovery in European economies continued to take their toll. The Office for National Statistics said the measure was pushed down by a drop in the price of [...]
Galliford Try chief executive Greg Fitzgerald steps down as profits rise 28 per cent September 16, 2014 Housebuilder Galliford Try said this morning its chief executive of almost 10 years, Greg Fitzgerald, will step down by the end of 2015 – just as it reported a 28 per cent increase in pre-tax profits. The figure rose to £95.2m for the year to 30 June, while group revenue was up 21 per cent to [...]
Caliphate in the UK: From Hampshire to the city September 16, 2014 A few months ago, the word "caliphate" suddenly appeared in headlines in every newspaper, signalling the beginning of the sinister rise of Islamic State (IS), the group currently wreaking terror in the Middle East. But IS isn't the only caliphate – there are similar groups all over the world. Although it's safe to say the [...]
Asos share price falls 13.7pc following poorer than expected sales growth September 16, 2014 Asos share price plummeted this morning following news of a poorer than expected sales growth for the three months ended August, with a warning that profits will not grow during the next financial year. Shares fell by 13.7 per cent to 2,092 pence on Tuesday, compared to Monday's value of 2,382 pence. The [...]
Alibaba raises share price in advance of IPO September 16, 2014 In advance of its New York IPO on Friday, Alibaba has raised its share price from $60-$66 to $66-$68 per American depositary share. The move is in response to a higher than expected demand for the Chinese e-commerce group's stock market. It pushes up the company's potential value to as high as $21.8bn. According [...]
UBS and Goldman Sachs left red-faced by AngloGold Ashanti $2.1bn float flop September 15, 2014 Proposals for a new London-listed mining spin-off worth £3bn hit the dust yesterday, as shareholders at one of the world’s top gold miners revolted over a $2.1bn (£1.3bn) rights issue key to the massive restructuring. South Africa-based AngloGold Ashanti was forced into a U-turn just five days after it announced it would spin off [...]