AstraZeneca sets out plans to reach annual revenue of over $45bn by 2023 November 18, 2014 Having beaten off Pfizer's advances, AstraZeneca is doing a good job proving it can thrive on its own. The pharmaceutical giant said today that it expects to deliver annual revenues of $45bn by 2023, with a focus on long-term growth and innovation. Through its investment in research and development, it is accelerating programs and [...]
Blue skies ahead for EasyJet? Profits rise 21.5 per cent November 18, 2014 EasyJet reported a 21 per cent lift in pre-tax profit for the full year, slightly ahead of its own market guidance. Profit before tax came in at £581m for the 12 months ended 30 September. The airline added it predicts more growth for the first six months of 2015. The profits are the highest reported [...]
Mansion tax talk and cooling London house prices fail to dent Savills expectations November 18, 2014 Upmarket estate agent Savills is weathering the moderation of the London property market and the fall in commercial trading volumes in Hong Kong, as other global hotspots continue to perform. In an interim statement published today, the group said it has been affected by the threat of a mansion tax, which could be implemented after [...]
Quiz: How well do you know your business buzzwords? November 18, 2014 We all hate them, but can’t stop ourselves from using them. Buzzwords and phrases that have no meaning whatsoever, except to make those saying them feel superior (and anyone listening to them in turn hate those people) and acronyms that make your eyes water are inescapable. Think you’ve heard them all? Think you’re the best [...]
Snapchat moves into mobile payments with Snapcash: Who are its competitors? November 18, 2014 Snapchat is partnering with payment processing firm Square Cash to create spancash. Snapcash will allow users to swipe into snapchat, type the dollar sign and the amount they wish to send, then hit the green 'send' button, the company said in a blogpost. . Square Cash will store users' debit card details and process payments sent [...]
From Gotham City to Fidelity and Canaccord: The unfortunate tale of Quindell’s share price November 18, 2014 You'd be forgiven for forgetting the full detail behind the story of Quindell – here, we wrap up the last seven months of headache-inducing stories that kept the insurance outsourcer in the headlines. April 23 – Mysterious short seller Gotham City Research publishes a 74-page dossier, claiming Quindell had “magical… paper profits” and raising [...]
Quindell share price falls as chairman Rob Terry steps down November 18, 2014 Chairman Rob Terry and non-executive director Steve Scott are leaving Quindell with immediate effect, while Laurence Moorse will remain at the company for 12 months after the 2015 annual meeting, the company confirmed this morning. Quindell investors appeared flummoxed by the news, with shares rising as much as 15 per cent on opening, but [...]
Rob Terry departs Quindell: How Gotham City got its man November 17, 2014 Quindell, the London stock-market listed group targeted for months by a short-selling research group Gotham City, was yesterday forced to part company with its chairman in an effort to restore investor confidence. The decision that Rob Terry should leave came hours after it was announced that broker Canaccord Genuity had quit on 21 October, ahead [...]
Canaccord departs Quindell: When a listed company’s broker quits, it usually means bad news November 17, 2014 Brokers to stock-market listed companies tend to stick around for the long-term, so when they exit abruptly there is usually a good reason for it. Canaccord’s departure from Quindell appears to have taken the market by surprise, but its decision to go follows a controversy over share-dealing by the directors. In May 2008, less than [...]
Mario Draghi: ECB could start buying government debt November 17, 2014 European stocks were buoyed yesterday as European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi said the ECB was prepared to buy government bonds. The ECB has only bought private sector bonds thus far but buying government bonds offers any stimulus programme a much larger scope. “Other unconventional measures might entail the purchase of a variety of [...]