Car sales fall as scrappage bites the dust September 6, 2010 NEW car sales plunged 17.5 per cent year-on-year in August after the scrappage scheme was phased out, figures showed yesterday. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data revealed that sales had dropped for the second consecutive month, after falling by 13 per cent year-on-year in July. The biggest fall was in private car [...]
Goals Soccer hit by snowfall September 6, 2010 GOALS Soccer Centres saw its profit dip after heavy snowfall cost it £180,000. The company, which operates 37 five-a-side soccer centres across the UK, reported a slight drop in half-year profits to £3.8m. The company’s sales fell by four per cent, but its birthday party bookings and corporate events were both up four per cent. [...]
Westfield hosts a car boot sale September 6, 2010 SHOPPING centre Westfield London will host a designer car boot sale this month, with designs and exclusive pieces from retailers Whistles and House of Fraser. The mall, in Shepherd’s Bush, will see the goods sold from 20 Hyundai cars in the centre’s car park. The event is to celebrate London Fashion Week, and will run [...]
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR | September 6, 2010 THESE are interesting times for the City’s law firms. The coming years promise massive changes, and the firms that make our shortlist are those which are positioning themselves to take advantage of the opportunities. Whether it’s looking at promising practice-areas, merging or looking towards the new markets, law firms are prepared. Don’t miss the City [...]
DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR | The Shortlist September 6, 2010 THE past 12 months have seen a boom in M&A as we have emerged from the downturn, with the Kraft-Cadbury deal filling endless column inches.?Elsewhere, Santander’s onward march continued. Other deals brokered by our short list were perhaps not so high-profile, but just as impressive in their own sectors. Don’t miss the City event of [...]
The City will pay a high price for a Tobin Tax September 6, 2010 EU FINANCE ministers are meeting today to discuss the latest incarnation of the Tobin Tax. The City should be worried. Tobin’s proposed tax on foreign exchange transactions has deservedly been in the wilderness for forty years, but the mood has changed. There is a real danger that a punishing levy could happen, sooner rather than [...]
Shell in refinery sale talks September 6, 2010 ROYAL Dutch Shell is in exclusive talks with Finnish fuel distributor St1 to sell the oil major’s Swedish refinery, both companies said yesterday. If the companies reach an agreement, it would be the second European refinery deal for Shell in a short period, following the sale of its German refinery in late August. Both of [...]
Cosalt suspends its offshore chief sending shares plummeting 25pc September 6, 2010 COSALT, a provider of safety equipment to the oil industry, has lost a quarter of its value after the head of its offshore division was suspended from day to day duties. The company, which makes things like lifejackets, First Aid gear and fire extinguishers, said Calum Melville had also resigned as a director. An internal [...]
Record travel numbers for Eurotunnel September 6, 2010 EUROTUNNEL enjoyed a record summer this year, after car traffic rose 17 per cent on last year with more than half a million cars taking the trip between Kent and Calais in July and August. The French company, which trades on the London and Paris stock exchanges, said it broke its previous passenger record on [...]
Oilex shares gain 150pc after new gas field success in India September 6, 2010 OIL and gas explorer Oilex said it has significantly upgraded its gas reserves in India thanks to advances in extraction tecnology, sending its shares soaring more than 150 per cent yesterday. Australia-based Oilex said yesterday it estimates the Cambay field in Gujarat holds 248bn cubic feet of gas with a 90 per cent certainty of [...]