ANALYST VIEWS: IS BHP’S DECISION TO INCREASE CAPITAL SPENDING A SURPRISE? February 10, 2010 IVOR PETHER | ROYAL LONDON ASSET MANAGEMENT Xstrata emphasised its capital spending projects yesterday so BHP are just continuing the theme. However its joint venture with Rio has been delayed. Overall it is a good set of results although the debt level is higher than expected. The main base metals and petroleums divisions improved substantially. [...]
Daily Mail is confident of media revival February 10, 2010 NEWSPAPER group Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) today hinted that the media sector may be finding its feet after a very tough 2009 although it still remains cautious in its outlook. The FTSE 250 group saw revenue fall eight per cent on an underlying basis to £482m in the three months to December as [...]
Shareholders vote against £2.98m pay of ex Grainger boss Rupert Dickinson February 10, 2010 SHAREHOLDERS at the annual general meeting of property giant Grainger yesterday voted against a multi-million pound payout to former chief executive Rupert Dickinson. Some 55 per cent of voters at the Newcastle meeting vetoed the resolution for Dickinson to receive £2.98m – about six times his salary. Dickinson stepped down in October due to ill [...]
Future sees its revenues tumble 12pc February 10, 2010 Playstation Magazine publisher Future said yesterday that first-quarter revenue fell 12 per cent and it expected trading conditions to remain difficult throughout 2010. The company said projected growth rates were very low and advertising budgets remained soft against tough competition, which continued to put pressure on yields. Future, whose special-interest magazines and websites range from [...]
Rothschild names its first non-relative as chief exec February 10, 2010 BANKING group Rothschild has set its face to the future by confirming it will appoint a non-family member, Nigel Higgins, as chief executive for the first time. Having spent 27 years with the bank, Higgins has considerable pedigree. But in March he will become the only person in the finance house’s 212-year history to take [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS February 10, 2010 RIGHTMOVE Collins Stewart thinks that consensus forecasts for FY10 are materially too low. It sets a target price of 690p – well above the current share price of 566p. It expects earnings per share forecasts to increase ten per cent to 30p. Valuation based on long term potential remains unchanged, and the broker advises “buy”. [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS February 10, 2010 Collins Stewart Christian Redman has joined the investment banking group’s wealth management division, Collins Stewart Wealth Management, as an associate director. Redman joins from Barclays Wealth, where he was responsible for managing over £450m on behalf of private clients across multiple asset classes. He has worked at Gerrard (now part of Barclays Wealth) since 1986, [...]
Golden years of retirement turning sour February 10, 2010 FOUR out of ten “baby boomers” are approaching retirement without setting aside any money each month, a report showed yesterday. Research compiled by insurer Aviva found that people aged between 55 to 64 are laden with debt and have scant resources to fund themselves after stepping down from work. Individuals in the age bracket – [...]
Peugeot Citroen gets a boost from car scrappage scheme limiting its losses February 10, 2010 FRENCH car maker Peugeot Citroen has reported a boost from car scrappage schemes despite reporting a €1.16bn (£1.02bn) loss for 2009. It lost €962m in the first six months of the year, but only €199m in the second half thanks to the the scrappage deals. However the company predicted continued tough times for the car [...]
REVAMPED CITY LIBRARY SET TO RE-OPEN February 10, 2010 THE newly revamped City Business Library and Guildhall Library is set to open this Monday, following a £1.2m redesign by Clerkenwell-based architects, Bisset Adams. The extensive redesign brings the two libraries together, in the first major refurbishment of the Guildhall premises since the 1970s.