Charlie Bracken: The man behind Liberty Global’s deal spree now has his eyes on Europe June 30, 2014 Finance boss Charlie Bracken tells Oliver Smith why content is king With a cable network connecting over 24m households across Europe, a figure that will jump to 28m when its €10bn (£8bn) takeover of Netherlands cable operator Ziggo closes later this year, finance chief Charlie Bracken believes that content is fast becoming the new [...]
Carlyle ponders sale of London minicab firm Addison Lee June 30, 2014 Carlyle Group, the US-based private equity firm, is considering selling Addison Lee, the London minicab company. The decision is part of an evaluation of the business, which Carlyle bought a majority stake in for around £300m in April 2013. The evaluation, to be conducted by Credit Suisse and likely to be completed by autumn this [...]
Zenos to speed ahead with sports car production after raising £2m June 30, 2014 SPORTS car maker Zenos has won £2m funding from investors including Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone. Zenos was founded two years ago by Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, previously chief executive officer and chief operating officer respectively of Caterham cars. The firm plans to produce its first cars next year, with a starting price [...]
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 fails to dethrone Apple after flagship launch June 30, 2014 Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, has taken third billing behind both Apple’s iPhone 5S and its cheaper 5C in May’s sales, according to research by Kantar Worldpanel. Samsung fared better in the US, however, where the S5 was the second-highest selling smartphone in May behind the 5S. “May was the first full month of [...]
Support pours in for JP high-flyer James Haymore June 30, 2014 Twitter was awash with supportive messages for JP Morgan account manager James Haymore yesterday, following the revelation he will go to court to defend his right to take his children out of school in term time. “Haymore definitely has a case,” tweeted one supporter. Another tweeted: “Very good luck indeed to James Haymore who [...]
Server failure leaves CISI exam takers hanging over weekend June 30, 2014 There will be a few well-bitten finger nails in the City this morning. Wannabe traders and investment professionals currently taking the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) test had to wait until this morning to find out the results of their Friday exams. Scores are usually available as soon as an exam is over [...]
London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival causes a splash in the Royal Albert Dock June 30, 2014 The London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival got underway yesterday with teams from PwC, EY, ABP Investment (pictured, far left), Lycamobile (pictured, middle) and Bank of East Asia (pictured, right) all competing in the dragon-headed crafts in the Royal Albert Dock. They battled through the afternoon’s heavy showers, with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity taking the [...]
Endgame approaches as bidders fight for Co-op pharmacy chain June 30, 2014 The sale of Co-op’s chemist business may be nearing its conclusion as several big bidders compete to be chosen as the winner of the long-running disposal. The Co-op group, which is also selling its farms business, is selling its chemist chain, including over 700 pharmacies employing around 6,500 staff. An outcome is likely in a [...]
US hedge fund slams top pay at First Group June 30, 2014 MANAGEMENT pay at First Group was slammed yesterday by Tom Sandell of New York-based hedge fund Sandell Asset Management, as he said the management team of the UK rail and bus operator had been “well rewarded for failure”. The comments came in an open letter from Sandell to John Macfarlane, chairman of the board of [...]
Anglo American to proceed with large asset sale June 30, 2014 Anglo American, the London- based mining giant, is looking to sell off assets at a number of sites, including some of its oldest platinum mines in South Africa. The sale comes as part of a strategic review of the company’s assets, led by chief executive Mark Cutifani. The FTSE 100-listed mining giant, which also owns [...]