SABMiller could seek other new partners after Heineken rebuff September 15, 2014 BREWING firm SABMiller could step up its plans to bulk up to avoid a takeover by AB InBev by seeking other merger partners, analysts predicted yesterday. SABMiller had made an offer for Heineken, but that deal was rejected over the weekend. Heineken’s family owners are believed to be unwilling to relinquish their majority hold on the [...]
Minecraft seller says it was not for the money September 15, 2014 GAMING billionaire Markus Persson yesterday denied he had sold the firm behind Minecraft for the money. Instead, he said he was being pestered online by fans angry at changes to the end-user licence agreement (EULA), and disliked being so detached from the game’s users. The Swedish programmer agreed to sell his firm Mojang to Microsoft [...]
Phones 4u founder John Caudwell had considered rescue bid before collapse September 15, 2014 Less than two weeks ago, the founder of Phones 4u, billionaire John Caudwell, was starting to put the pieces together to see if he could launch a daring rescue plan to save the business that had just been cut out by Vodafone, one of its two key trading partners. “Having realised what that meant [Vodafone’s [...]
Monitise share price dips as mobile banking firm eyes move to FTSE September 15, 2014 Aim-listed Monitise could consider a move to the main London Stock Exchange market as soon as this financial year, the mobile banking and payments firm’s chief executive told City A.M. yesterday. “The fact that we’ve reiterated that we’re seriously considering [a move to a main listing] shows that we’re thinking imminently, hopefully within this financial [...]
Greggs profits fatten with health drive of sandwiches and coffee September 15, 2014 Greggs’ like-for-like profits rose 5.4 per cent in the last quarter after the bakery famous for sausage rolls modernised its line with healthy sandwiches and better coffee. The Newcastle-headquartered chain said sales grew by four per cent in the 11 weeks to 13 September, compared to the same time last year. The company said this [...]
H&M to take on its rival Inditex after posting 20pc earnings lift September 15, 2014 SWEDISH clothing giant Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) yesterday announced a nearly 20 per cent rise in sales in August, beating forecasts after a warm European summer. The company posted net sales of 38.8bn Swedish krone (£3.3bn) excluding sales tax for June through August, beating a forecast of 37.8bn krone and compared with 32bn krone in the [...]
Gemfields in new bid for precious stones September 15, 2014 GEMFIELDS has entered into a joint venture to mine sapphires to complete what chief executive Ian Harebottle called the “big three” of coloured stones – green emeralds, red rubies and blue sapphires. The precious gems miner, for whom actress Mila Kunis is brand ambassador, is paying £246,000 for a 75 per cent stake in 16 [...]
Would you say yes to Oink Energy’s Peppa Pig-ish porcine power? September 15, 2014 It’s fair to say energy companies are still not at the top of the public’s Christmas card lists – and this morning, a new energy company has trotted on to the scene to give us all something to think about. Would we rather get their energy bills from Centrica’s Sammy “two pools” Laidlaw or Peppa [...]
Any Scots want to see Ed Balls in shorts? Vote No to independence on Thursday September 15, 2014 One further casualty of a potential Scottish Yes vote can now be revealed – the annual appearance of Ed Balls struggling to come to terms with a tight-fitting football shirt. Yes, Sunday’s match between the gentlemen of the press and Labour MPs at the party conference in Manchester is likely to be cancelled by a [...]
Sluggish Eurozone recovery hit by falling exports September 15, 2014 Worries about the Eurozone’s stuttering recovery worsened yesterday as new data showed weakening exports. A 0.2 per cent fall in goods export values and 0.9 per cent rise in import values from June to July narrowed the bloc’s trade surplus from €2.8bn (£2.2bn) to €1.7bn. Only economic powerhouse Germany showed signs of a widening trade [...]