Government sparks row with call for plain packet cigarettes January 31, 2010 TOBACCO manufacturers are gearing up for battle over government plans to cut smoking by only allowing cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging. British American Tobacco said yesterday that it would put up a “huge fight” over such a move, which it said would encourage criminals to mass produce fake products and leave purchasers with [...]
George Osborne’s chief of staff to stand down to become Tory MP January 31, 2010 GEORGE Osborne’s chief of staff Matt Hancock has been selected to fight the Suffolk West seat for the Tories at the election. Hancock, 31, who took a first at Oxford before working for the Bank of England, beat high-flying City lawyer Natalie Elphicke in the final selection round by 88 votes to 81. The seat [...]
SWEET TALKER January 31, 2010 Kraft chief executive Irene Rosenfeld says fears of job losses at Cadbury have been greatly overstated and Kraft has plans to grow the Cadbury business. In an interview with the Telegraph she said that Kraft would not be looking for any mergers and acquisitions activity in the near term following the sale of its pizza [...]
Fans may bid for United at end of season January 31, 2010 A BID for Manchester United by wealthy fans could materialise by the end of the season. Football’s “Mr Fixit” Keith Harris, who has advised on the sale of clubs including Chelsea and West Ham, says he is “very confident” he could pull together enough investors to make a bid for the Old Trafford club. The [...]
Canadians’ £1.7bn play for water firm January 31, 2010 ONE of Northumbrian Water’s largest shareholders is thought to be preparing a £1.7bn bid to take the FTSE 250 company private. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), which has also been linked to a buyout of private equity-owned Acorn Education and Care, holds 27 per cent of Northumbrian Water. It is understood to have begun negotiations [...]
BP to extend lead over its arch foe Shell January 31, 2010 BP LOOKS set to extend its lead over Royal Dutch Shell when it announces fourth quarter profit around $2bn (£1.3bn) higher than its Anglo Dutch rival tomorrow. Analysts expect BP to report fourth quarter profit up 81 per cent to $4.7bn on a “replacement cost basis”, a measure that takes into account the cost of [...]
Remember story of hare and tortoise January 31, 2010 EARLIER this month BP overtook Royal Dutch Shell in market capitalisation for the first time in three years. It looks set to extend that lead this week, when it reports fourth quarter profits up 80 per cent to $4.7bn tomorrow. Still, long-term investors should remember Aesop’s fable the Tortoise and the Hare. The truth is [...]
PetroNeft offloads Russia stake January 31, 2010 Oil and gas producer PetroNeft Resources will today confirm partner Arawak Energy has exercised an option to acquire a 50 per cent stake in its Ledovy Licence project in Russia, following a technical and commercial review. PetroNeft will remain as operator of the project, located to the west of the Ob River, while all costs [...]
GM estate set to sue BMW January 31, 2010 The company charged with selling off General Motors’ unwanted assets is suing BMW for breaking the terms of a contract to buy gearboxes, a GM factory spokesman said yesterday. Motors Liquidation Company (MLC) has filed a suit against the German motor giant at New York’s bankruptcy court, saying BMW unfairly reduced its order for gearboxes [...]
Bloomingdale’s flowers in Dubai January 31, 2010 New York’s famed shopping chain Bloomingdale’s finally opened its doors in the Middle East’s biggest mall yesterday in its first foray outside its home market. The Macy’s unit has teamed up with the United Arab Emirates’ Al Tayer, which is investing 270m dirhams (£46m) in a venture first mooted over two years ago. “We are [...]