Whitbread to say goodbye to chairman Habgood January 22, 2014 Costa and Premier Inn owner Whitbread has announced this morning that its chairman Anthony Habgood is to step down. Back in November, Sky News reported that the FTSE 100 group was already on the hunt for a successor to Habgood, who’s held his position since mid 2005. He'll leave later in the year. The search [...]
WH Smith misses out on Christmas cheer January 22, 2014 Stationery and book store WH Smith suffered a sad Christmas, with both overall and like-for-like sales sliding four per cent in the 20 weeks to 18 January. In line with what the company expected, its high street shops were the biggest drag on its performance, with total sales down seven per cent and like-for-likes down [...]
What you need to know before the open – 22/01 January 22, 2014 European equities are expected stronger today, as US stock futures increase and improving Asian shares see investors relaxing a bit. Davos continues today, with world leaders debating the crucial economic questions of the day. With something of a dearth of economic data this week, investors continue to watch the various earnings reports out. SUGGESTED [...]
Investors aren’t shaken by this week’s three big platinum strikes. Here’s why January 21, 2014 Imminent strike action at South Africa’s three largest platinum producers has failed to set the precious metal price alight as much as some may have thought. The militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the dominant union representing the three firms’ workers, has given notice that strikes will start on Thursday, with Amcu demanding [...]
The Carl Icahn approach to investing just got more popular January 21, 2014 Call it the Carl Icahn-effect but hedge fund bosses who pressure company managers to do what they say are back in fashion with pension funds and well-heeled investors, new stats out today show. So-called activist hedge fund bosses – the type of investors currently stalking British supermarket Morrisons and train company FirstGroup – attracted more [...]
How telematics is changing the car insurance world forever January 21, 2014 I have two siblings, a younger sister and an even younger brother. My sister is a self-confessed terrible driver who once managed to write off a car in a 20mph collision outside the Post Office in our local market town. My brother, an engineer, works at Jaguar Landrover. So whose insurance quote is higher? You [...]
Warren Buffett’s $1bn prize and your chances of winning January 21, 2014 Berkshire Hathaway – Warren Buffett's multinational conglomerate – is backing a $1bn prize for the contestant who correctly predicts the winner of every game in the US' National Collegiate Athletics Association’s men’s basketball tournament. The prize, offered by Quicken Loans (the firm founded by mortgage magnate Dan Gilbert), will be paid in 40 annual instalments [...]
Internet speed for commuters to skyrocket after Ofcom decision January 21, 2014 Passengers on boats, planes and trains are set to enjoy broadband speeds 10-times faster than they currently experience following Ofcom's approval of a new satellite-based technology. The new devices called earth stations will be mounted on vehicles and provide internet to passengers by connecting to a geostationary satellite. The telecoms regulator is also making available [...]
IMF makes big boost for UK official January 21, 2014 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast for UK growth this year has been rapidly revised upwards today, from the 1.9 per cent projection in October, to 2.4 per cent. In April last year, the IMF expected growth of only 1.5 per cent for the UK. As widely expected, the Fund is easing off on criticism [...]
40pc of rail passengers are upset by this commuter nightmare January 21, 2014 The state of the toilets on Britain’s railways is the biggest bugbear for passengers, according to the latest national rail passenger survey. The biannual poll, which quizzes thousands of passengers, found that four in ten are dissatisfied with the toilet facilities and just 36 per cent were happy with the loos, down three percentage points [...]