Delays for iPad in UK after pre-orders outstrip demand… May 17, 2010 THE instant success of Apple’s iPad in its native US looks set to be repeated in the UK after record pre-orders have already outstripped demand. The tablet notebook – described by Apple as “revolutionary” – finally goes on sale in the UK on 28 May after a series of delays. But now Apple is warning [...]
Amex and Permira join forces to bid for RBS’ WorldPay payment division May 17, 2010 AMERICAN Express has teamed up with UK private equity firm Permira to bid for Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) payment-processing arm. French software firm Atos Origin has also joined the private equity consortium of CVC Capital Partners and Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe to bid for RBS’s Global Merchant Services (GMS) unit, which includes the [...]
… as the iPhone chips away at RIM dominance May 17, 2010 STANDARD Chartered is replacing the BlackBerry, currently its standard corporate communications device, with the iPhone, a move that could eventually result in thousands of bankers switching to the Apple device for business communication on the go. Standard Chartered bankers said the London-based lender was giving its corporate BlackBerry users the option of switching to the [...]
Travis Perkins trading beats expectations May 17, 2010 BUILDING and home improvements retailer Travis Perkins said it was trading ahead of expectations, with signs of growth in its merchanting business offsetting a contracting DIY market. The group, which is seen as a building industry bellwether, said like-for-like sales increased 1.4 per cent in the four months to the end of April, rebounding from [...]
Entrepreneurs must dive into the Blue Ocean May 17, 2010 I HAVE just got back from the Forest of Fontainebleau, where I celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Insead, the institution that awarded my MBA in 1997. I am still marvelling at the Insead co-founders, four French men who hit a bullseye 50 years ago. The idea of Insead was that Europe needed its own business school, [...]
Mitie sees boost from acquisitions May 17, 2010 MITIE, the support services firm, said yesterday acquisitions had boosted full-year profits and it expected increased government outsourcing to continue to support growth. Mitie, which cleans Barclays and HSBC’s UK buildings, said the acquisitions of rivals Dalkia and EPS had increased its foothold in the social housing market and also meant it could offer more [...]
Japanese pharma firm will buy its way into lucrative US drugs market May 17, 2010 JAPANESE drugmaker Astellas Pharma has agreed to buy US biotech OSI Pharmaceuticals for $4bn (£2.8bn) in cash in a sweetened bid that will add OSI’s blockbuster cancer drug Tarceva to its line-up. Astellas has been chasing OSI as it seeks to bolster a nascent cancer drug business as a future earnings pillar amid falling earnings [...]
Vodafone is buoyed by South African results May 17, 2010 VODAFONE received a welcome boost ahead of its full-year results when its South African wing announced a big leap in earnings. Vodacom reported a 22 per cent earnings spike and said it would increase its dividend payouts. Vodafone is expected to announce strong results tomorrow off the back of growing smartphone sales, especially after it [...]
TICKETS PLEASE May 17, 2010 MAYOR of London Boris Johnson yesterday unveiled the ultra-modern new makeover for the capital’s iconic Routemaster bus, designed to replace his predecessor Ken Livingstone’s unpopular bendy buses. The first of the new vehicles are expected to hit London’s roads by the end of 2011 and will return to the old Routemaster’s “hop-on, hop-off” open platform [...]
BHP ready to compromise on mining tax May 17, 2010 BHP BILLITON yesterday said it is prepared to cut a deal with the Australian government over its plans to introduce a new mining tax. Jac Nasser, chairman of the Anglo-Australian miner told shareholders in a letter yesterday that the levy should only apply to new projects, not existing investments. The government also signaled it might [...]