Mass job losses to hit Fiat June 18, 2009 Fiat plans to stop car production at one Italian plant and change to a new platform at another, its chief executive told government and unions, as he explained the local impact of its deal to steer Chrysler back to health. Sergio Marchionne, who now also heads the US car maker, said that Fiat planned to [...]
Boris plans RMT talks June 17, 2009 TALKS between warring London Underground (LU) and the Rail and Maritime (RMT) union will resume tomorrow, London mayor Boris Johnson said yesterday, as fears of further tube strikes grow in the capital. Discussions between the two parties collapsed last week, leading to a 48 hour strike London’s 3.5m commuters, and a slanging match between both [...]
Anglo Overseas claims the worst of the economic crisis has passed June 17, 2009 INVESTMENT trust Anglo Overseas Trust yesterday injected a note of optimism into the market as it claimed the economic recovery was already underway. The trust’s net asset value per share rose 7.2 per cent to 92.35p over the three months to the end of April. “The economic outlook appears more stable and it is probable [...]
ITV favourite joins BT board June 17, 2009 TONY Ball, the chairman of Germany’s largest cable TV operator and frontrunner for the job of ITV chief executive, has been appointed as non-executive director at BT. The appointment of the former BSkyB boss – who has spent the past four years turning Kabel Deutschland into Germany’s fastest-growing high-speed broadband provider – came a day [...]
Holidaybreak plans rights issue June 17, 2009 Travel firm Holidaybreak plans to raise around £31m through a rights issue, fully underwritten by broker KBC Peel Hunt. The firm will issue around 21.7 new shares on the basis of four new shares for every nine existing shares, at a price of 153p a share, a 49 per cent discount to the stock’s Tuesday [...]
Victoria Oil & Gas to raise 5.3m June 17, 2009 Natural resources firm Victoria Oil & Gas said yesterday it is to raise £5.3m before expenses via a two-tranche equity placing, to fund production at its Logbaba gas and condensate project in Cameroon. The Aim-listed firm has placed 100m new ordinary shares at 3p each and is seeking shareholder approval to place a further 76.6m [...]
Ryanair slashes aircraft numbers June 17, 2009 Irish budget airline Ryanair will reduce the number of its aircraft at two Irish bases and will likely do so at airports in the United Kingdom as well, chief executive Michael O’Leary said yesterday. O’Leary, who blamed taxes levied on air travel in the two countries for the planned moves, said Ryanair was still planning [...]
National Express gets bank relief June 17, 2009 National Express’s banks have agreed to delay a tightening of debt terms for six months, giving the bus and rail operator greater flexibility as it looks at ways to reduce its £1.2bn debt pile. A condition that its net debt should not be more than four times core earnings will now remain in place until [...]
HARD TIMES ON THE HIGH STREET June 17, 2009 ALEXON GROUP the street retailer – which owns the Eastex, Ann Harvey, Kaliko and Dash clothing brands – said yesterday its like-for-like sales fell 10.5 per cent in the 17 weeks to 13 June due to an “intensely competitive” retail climate. The firm was forced to put its Bay Trading unit into administration just two [...]
Defence helps WS Atkins to report profits June 17, 2009 WS ATKINS, the engineering group, said yesterday its full year pre-tax profits had risen nine per cent to £100.2m, beating analysts expectations and sending its shares to their highest level in more than a month. The company – which is helping build the Olympics, construct Crossrail and upgrade the M25 – said its defence, oil [...]