CITY VIEWS: WOULD YOU CONSIDER BUYING an iPAD? January 28, 2010 SCOTT DOWNIE | ANGLO IRISH BANK “I wouldn’t buy one myself. I own a Mac and an iPhone so it’s kind of irrelevant. Eventually, if they gave it the full capabilities of a laptop, I would buy it as it looks amazing and I like the touch screen aspect.” ROB HAYWOOD | LEGAL & GENERAL [...]
FTSE opens Milan office January 28, 2010 Global index provider, the FTSE Group, yesterday announced that it has opened a sales office in Milan in order to provide dedicated support to investors in Italy. The office, located in Milan’s financial centre, will be headed by sales manager Andrea Beretta. Beretta’s remit is to work closely with local market participants to ensure that [...]
Leisure & Gaming’s profits fall January 28, 2010 AIM-listed Leisure & Gaming yesterday revealed its unaudited results for the quarter ended 31 December 2009, showing a plummet in casino and a dip in sports betting revenues. Its gross profits fell to €1.8m in the fourth quarter to the end of December – down from €1.9m a year ago. Amounts wagered on sports betting, [...]
Beer sales begin to recover January 28, 2010 Beer sales are showing signs of recovery after the largest fall for two years, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said yesterday. Total UK sales for the last three months of 2009 were down 3.6 per cent on the same period in 2008, figures from the industry body revealed. This is the lowest fourth [...]
Ford is finally back to black January 28, 2010 FORD raced back to black as it announced full-year earnings of $2.7bn (£1.7bn) yesterday. The result is the first profit the troubled car maker has reported since 2005. The business now expects to make a make a “solid” profit over the next two years despite a slow recovery in US car sales. Revenue for the [...]
Toyota lays off 750 workers as it issues further car recall January 28, 2010 JAPANESE car giant Toyota said it is cutting a fifth of its British workforce as it battles with a massive recall of vehicles. Around 750 jobs will be slashed in Toyota’s Midlands and North Wales plants. The news comes despite a late surge in sales reported in the final quarter of last year. Toyota’s UK [...]
Private equity is back in town January 28, 2010 PRIVATE equity deals roared back onto the corporate scene yesterday, with sector specialists predicting a rush of more to come. There were three buyouts yesterday, totalling £910m in value, which all come hot on the heels of KKR’s £955m buyout of Pets at Home earlier this week. The latest deals, all revealed yesterday, are led by [...]
Spyker celebrates Saab coup but could struggle to make a profit January 28, 2010 DUTCH luxury sportscar maker Spyker may be the unlikely buyer of Saab but it will struggle with the real challenge: converting two loss-making companies into a profitable one. After months of tortuous negotiations, Spyker sealed a deal with General Motors to buy Saab for $74m (£46m) cash and $326m in deferred shares, sparking celebrations at [...]
World leaders: economy is not out of the woods January 28, 2010 Top policymakers yesterday warned the world economy is not out of the woods and a global recovery is still far from secure, urging caution as central banks work on withdrawing critical support. China’s Vice Premier Li Keqiang, the man tipped to become the country’s next premier, said there were still “twists and turns” ahead as [...]
Cameron: we must cut deficit to prove UK is sound prospect January 28, 2010 DAVID Cameron will strike a patriotic note in his address to the world economic forum in Davos today, promising he will “take on the role of flag waver for British business” if the Conservatives are elected. In front of an audience expected to include former US president Bill Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Cameron [...]