Ellen’s Oscar selfie takes top retweet gong March 3, 2014 FORGET who won best movie and who wore it best on the red carpet, the buzz surrounding the Oscars this year centred around this selfie by Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres. “If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars” she tweeted. Last night it had clocked up almost three million retweets within an hour [...]
Sir Bill Gammell to step down from Cairn March 3, 2014 THE CHAIRMAN and founder of Cairn Energy is stepping down, the FTSE 250 oil and gas explorer said yesterday. Sir Bill Gammell will retire as chairman with effect from 15 May and will be replaced by Ian Tyler, who is currently a non-executive director of the company. Tyler was previously chief executive of infrastructure firm Balfour [...]
Quorn Foods owner Exponent takes a sip of scotch distillery March 3, 2014 THE WHISKY making Loch Lomond Distillery in Scotland has been sold to the private equity owner of Quorn Foods, with former Diageo chief financial officer Nick Rose parachuted in as chairman. The whisky maker, which reported £23.6m of turnover last year and a £470,000 profit, will be formed into a new company called Loch Lomond [...]
Keller chief eyes more deals as its earnings rise by 70 per cent March 3, 2014 THE CHIEF executive of Keller Group yesterday said he expects revenue and profit growth in 2014 and mooted the possibility of another acquisition this year, as the engineering firm unveiled a 70 per cent rise in full-year profits. The FTSE 250-quoted company reported a nine per cent rise in revenue to £1.44bn and a 70 [...]
Return to hiring across the UK boosts Walters March 3, 2014 WHITE collar recruiter Robert Walters has cheered signs of a broad bounce in the British jobs market that has helped boost its profits 30 per cent. The firm’s eponymous chief executive said the recovery in hiring after several tough years has a “rather solid nature”. “It’s not led by only one specialist area, it’s across [...]
Analyst Views: Is Robert Walters making the jobs market work for it? March 3, 2014 DAVID O’BRIEN | SHORE CAPITAL The stand out features of the [firm’s] results were its long-term contract business, Resource Solutions, UK regions and Japan. London, by contrast, was relatively weak, in part highlighting the continued weakness of banking markets. From what Robert Walters and its peers are suggesting, the recovery is becoming widespread. PAUL JONES [...]
HellermannTyton rises as Asia and America drive up revenues March 3, 2014 Cable equipment maker HellermannTyton’s share price rose over two per cent yesterday, after full-year revenues were boosted by strong growth in the Americas and Asia. Overall revenue rose to €538m (£443.2m), up 11.1 per cent in constant currency, while earnings rose to €83m, up 11.8 per cent. Revenues in the Americas and Asia rose 12.8 [...]
Intertek profit up over 2013 March 3, 2014 INTERTEK yesterday revealed a two per cent yearly profit rise, up to £315m before tax in 2013 from £308m in the year before. The FTSE 100 firm, which tests and certifies the safety of consumer products, said revenue increased by six per cent to £2.2bn and cash flow increased by 14 per cent to £394m. [...]
Property bosses call for two new London suburbs March 3, 2014 BUILDING new suburbs in the Lea Valley and Chessington, selling off more public land to developers and allowing more skyscrapers are among the suggestions put forward by a panel of property heads as possible solutions to London’s housing shortage. A dozen property bosses brought together by business group London First have also recommended stricter house-building [...]
Johnson Services snaps up hotel linen firm Bourne in £22m deal March 3, 2014 UNIFORM and dry cleaning company Johnson Services yesterday said it had snapped up Lincolnshire-based hotel linen company Bourne Services for £22m. The deal will be funded with a new equity placing of £12.8m, the company said yesterday. Executive chairman John Talbot said: “This is a significant step in our plan to expand the range of services [...]