Analysts express doubt over The Restaurant Group’s takeover of Wagamama’s November 11, 2018 Analysts have expressed doubt over Frankie and Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) £600m acquisition of Asian fusion chain Wagamama’s. TRG is the preferred bidder in the sales process which was sparked in June by Goldman Sachs on behalf of private equity backers Duke Street and Hutton Collins, it was announced last month. However analysts [...]
Persimmon boss could pocket £10m on top of £75m bonus after dismissal November 11, 2018 Sacked Persimmon boss Jeff Fairburn could receive up to £10m in dividends over the next three years after being dismissed following a row over his £75m bonus. The under-fire Fairburn was dismissed last week following mounting pressure from both investors and the public over his eye-watering pay packet. Persimmon said that as Fairburn “left at the [...]
All Saints profits hit by retail storm November 11, 2018 Fashion brand All Saints has seen its profits plummet as online shopping continues to take its toll on high-street fashion retailers. The company’s underlying profits fell by more than half to £10.6m because of property losses and a drop in in-store sales. Sales rose eight per cent to £327m in the year to February. But [...]
UK wage growth could rise to three-year high with inflation remaining steady November 11, 2018 UK wage growth could hit a three-year high of three per cent when data for the three months to September is revealed tomorrow, according to City economists. Average weekly earnings could reach the three per cent growth mark – from 2.7 per cent in the previous quarter – while excluding bonuses it could rise 3.2 [...]
Top Tory MP Tom Tugendhat eyes leadership bid following Brexit November 11, 2018 Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat has said he would consider running for Conservative Party leadership. The MP for Tonbridge and Malling told Sky News that voters will want a change of leadership following Brexit, but added that he would wait to see “what deal the prime minister brings back.” Tugendhat, a former army officer, added: [...]
SSE expected to announce profit drop as Npower merger hits snag November 11, 2018 Big Six energy company SSE is expected to announce a 43 per cent drop in profit for the first half of the year in its results on Wednesday. On Thursday SSE said the anticipated merger of SSE Energy Services with Npower would be delayed beyond the first quarter of 2019 in order to renegotiate commercial [...]
Barclays bosses to meet activist investor Edward Bramson over calls to scale back investment bank November 11, 2018 Barclays chief executive Jes Staley and chairman John McFarlane will meet activist investor Edward Bramson in New York this week over calls to downsize the investment bank’s markets division. The meeting comes as Barclays received backing from top shareholder James Lowen, who told the Sunday Times that a decision to scale back the division would [...]
Alibaba’s record-breaking Singles Day sales hit $10bn in first hour November 11, 2018 Online retail giant Alibaba today smashed records for the largest shopping day on the planet, making sales of over $1bn (£770.5m) in just 85 seconds. The sales came during Singles Day, the world’s largest online retail festival. Alibaba’s total sales hit $10bn after one hour and had reached over $24bn after 16 hours. The festival's sales eclipse the estimated [...]
Turkey gave Khashoggi tapes to European countries, says Erdogan November 11, 2018 Turkey has shared recordings related to the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi with Germany, France and Britain, President Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in October. Erdogan has stated the murder was ordered by the “highest levels” [...]
Break the chain: Spotify backers fund estate agent Nested November 11, 2018 An estate agent that helps homeowners buy their next property chain-free has received £120m from the backers of Spotify, Betfair and Revolut. Nested gives homeowners a cash advance of up to 94 per cent of their property’s value, allowing them to buy a new home before completing a sale. The rest of the value is [...]