MFI under pressure as shares dip October 20, 2005 Confidence in MFI’s stricken furniture chain was undermined further yesterday after a damning analyst report sent the shares into a nosedive. Richard Ratner, of Seymour Pierce, quoted “reliable sources” stating that the British showroom business had sought an extension of credit terms from trade suppliers. He also suggested that the division could be “put into [...]
Google gives up battle for Gmail name October 20, 2005 Google yesterday gave up its long battle with a tiny company for the use of its Gmail branded email in Britain. Following months of wrangling, the company with a market capitalisation of £31bn bowed to pressure from London-based Independent International Investment Research (IIIR), worth just £2.3m, and changed its name to Googlemail. Now new users [...]
Drax turns down third £2bn offer October 20, 2005 Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant Drax has rejected a £2bn bid from International Power and Japanese engineering company Mitsui. Yorkshire-based Drax, which is running an auction for its sale at the same time as preparing an initial public offering, has also turned down similar bids from two American consortiums. Drax, which supplies 7 per cent [...]
FTSE falls to lowest level since July October 20, 2005 The FTSE fell to its lowest level since July as fears about rising interest rates wiped out value on stock exchanges across Europe. It emerged yesterday that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep British interest rates at 4.5 per cent. Analysts said that this signalled a rate cut to coincide with November’s [...]
BA: Ryanair passengers ‘like freight’ October 20, 2005 British Airways boss Willie Walsh has shocked the airline industry with an attack on Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. Walsh slammed the low-cost airline claiming that it treats its passengers worse than BA treats freight. In an interview with CityA.M. Walsh said: “I think we actually treat our freight better than he treats his passengers.” The [...]
OFT slams ‘too high’ Visa fees October 20, 2005 The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) stepped up its assault on British banks yesterday, announcing an in-depth inquiry into Visa fees. The investigation relates to so-called “interchange fees” which are levied by high street banks on retailers when they process Visa credit card transactions. In a related investigation into Mastercard fees, the OFT last month [...]
Bugatti Power October 19, 2005 Veyron keyed up for super speeds YES, YES, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes please can I have one?! This is the long-awaited Bugatti Veyron which has the most amazing statistics of any production car I’ve ever come across. Its engine is a massive eight litres, it has 16 cylinders, four turbos, and seven gears. [...]
Alas Sugar and Jones October 19, 2005 Sir Alan Sugar teamed up with Griff Rhys Jones to save the Hackney Empire. Now they have reunited to lay on a fundraising extravaganza involving teams from the Square Mile. Sir Alan Sugar and Griff Rhys Jones are an unlikely double act. One left school at 16 and, following a short stint as a civil [...]
Your friendly neighbours at the Barbican October 19, 2005 Residents of City apartment complex the Barbican are thinking of forming a vigilante group to take on the “Johnny foreigners” at the nearby YMCA. Their noisy antics have become the subject of heated exchanges in one of the chatrooms on www.barbicantalk.com. One of the more gung-ho residents, who calls himself Flangia, has even proposed the [...]
House prices to stay static October 19, 2005 John Watson, chief executive of Bellway, the housebuilder, yesterday dampened expectations of a significant increase in house prices between now and next summer. Commenting as the company delivered otherwise impressive annual results, he said: “My feeling is that it is right to assume nil house price inflation in our next financial year, which is to [...]