UK Coal receives £10m state loan to close mines April 10, 2014 THE UK government said yesterday that it will give a £10m loan to UK Coal to help finance a managed closure of two of its mines over the next 18 months. “The taxpayer would face significant losses and liabilities in the event of an immediate insolvency of UK Coal, principally relating to redundancy and unpaid [...]
Wembley Arena to be rebranded as the SSE Arena in 10-year deal April 10, 2014 WEMBLEY Arena will be renamed the SSE Arena under a new 10-year deal signed with the FTSE 100 energy giant, announced yesterday. Entertainment company AEG brokered the deal, which starts from 1 June, having taken over the running of the venue last year. The agreement is estimated to be worth around £15m and the proceeds [...]
WH Smith raises dividend after increasing profit April 10, 2014 STATIONER and bookseller WH Smith yesterday raised its dividend to shareholders, reflecting its confidence in future prospects after it posted a three per cent rise in first-half profit. The group, which has over 1,200 stores primarily in the UK as well an increasing presence overseas, said headline pre-tax profit for the six months to the [...]
Tanning gives PZ Cussons lift April 10, 2014 PZ CUSSONS reported a strong set of numbers yesterday driven by sales of its Imperial Leather and Carex soaps in Europe. The consumer goods group said its beauty division had grown due to sales of its St Tropez self-tanning products that had been boosted by model Kate Moss working as brand ambassador. PZ Cussons also [...]
Mr & Mrs Smith’s record quarter April 10, 2014 MR & MRS Smith, the travel publisher and boutique hotel specialist, yesterday announced a record first quarter, with revenue jumping 28 per cent compared to a year earlier. The company, which started taking bookings for boutique hotels in 2005, said March was its busiest month ever for sales bookings, with nearly £4.5m worth of room-nights [...]
Winter floods City at annual Christmas bash April 10, 2014 WITH May fast approaching you might think festive parties are a distant, mulled wine-filled memory but not for Winterflood Securities, which held its annual and undeniably epic Christmas party last night. The Old Billingsgate building down on the Thames provided a new but bountiful platform for the do. This year’s theme was old school City [...]
Irish eyes were smiling at the Stock Exchange’s Ireland Day April 10, 2014 ANY ENGLISH rugby fans passing through 10 Paternoster Square yesterday might have got the hump for a moment. A green ribbon-adorned Six Nations Cup was sat proudly on stage, next to the Irish tricolour for the Stock Exchange’s Ireland Day celebrations. The man behind the day, CEO of Ireland INC, Ian Hyland, had no idea [...]
Foreign tourists spending more on British trips April 10, 2014 ALMOST seven million people visited the UK from overseas this winter, generating a fifth more for the British economy than they did a year earlier. In the three months to the end of February, 6.95m international visitors splashed out £4.55bn while they were in the country, up 21 per cent on the same period last [...]
AO World shares steady after update showing 40pc growth April 10, 2014 SHARES IN newly-listed fridge seller AO World steadied yesterday after the firm’s maiden trading update confirmed it was on track to deliver 40 per cent revenue growth. AO, which floated in February, has been routed this week along with other tech stocks in London and the US on fears that a bubble was forming within [...]
Call for walking commuter rebate April 10, 2014 London workers who skip their commute once a week could be handed a refund of up to £310.50 on their season ticket, under a proposal set out yesterday. Roger Evans, a Conservative member of the Greater London Assembly, has sent plans to TfL that call for cash rebates for commuters who underuse their season ticket [...]