Flower Power: Laura Ashley plots expansion in India and China September 9, 2015 Laura Ashley is plotting its first foray into India and mainland China, where it believes its floral prints and home accessories will be a hit with shoppers. The retailer is in talks with a number of potential partners in both countries with the view of having its first stores up and running within two years, [...]
GSK share price hit by clinical trial failure of major new respiratory medicine Breo September 9, 2015 Today, GSK released disappointing clinical results for a new respiratory drug it hoped would bring in billions of pounds worth of sales. Breo, a treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), managed to extend life expectancy by just 12.2 per cent among a patient sample size of 16,500 from 43 countries around [...]
Building bonanza at Barratt as profits jump 45 per cent September 9, 2015 Success in the housebuilding market continues apace, after Barratt reported another jump in profits. The figures This kind of fare has become standard among housebuilders in recent years: profit before tax jumped 44.8 per cent to £565.5m in the year to the end of June, while revenues rose 19.1 per cent to £3.76bn and basic earnings per share jumped 45.8 per [...]
BHS to leave Oxford Street flagship store September 9, 2015 It could soon be the end of an era for BHS as the ailing department chain's new owners move closer to a deal that could see it leave its Oxford Street flagship altogether. Retail Acquisitions, a consortium comprising an eclectic mix of investors including former racing driver Dominic Chappell, is in talks to sell the [...]
Apple iPhone 6S launch: Apple share price down pre-launch for the first time since 2007 September 9, 2015 Apple shares are down ahead of a major launch for the first time since the first iPhone was unveiled back in 2007. The Cupertino tech giant has seen shares slide by 6.2 per cent in the past 30 days, leaving what is normally a safe source of returns for investors decidedly more uncertain. Looking back, [...]
United Airlines boss Jeff Smisek steps down amid ongoing Port Authority investigation September 9, 2015 United Airlines boss Jeff Smisek has left the company with immediate effect, following a company investigation into an ongoing federal probe. Smisek is stepping down alongside United's executive vice president of communications and government affairs Nene Foxhall and its senior vice president of corporate and government affairs Mark R. Anderson. “The departures announced [...]
Monitise share price dives as chief executive Elizabeth Buse steps down after six months September 9, 2015 Shares in troubled tech group Monitise tumbled by more than 27 per cent to 4.2p in the first minutes of trading, as it announced chief executive Elizabeth Buse will step down after just six months running the show. In a statement today, Monitise said Buse will step down today "due to her desire for personal [...]
Ryanair’s share price jumps 10 per cent as it raises profit forecast 25 per cent after discovering being nice to customers can really pay off September 9, 2015 Ryanair's share price leaped 10 per cent on the open this morning after raising its full year profit guidance by 25 per cent, as its bid to win over customers with an improved service takes off. The budget airline said full year net profit would now come in between €1.175bn and €1.225bn, up from previous [...]
Quindell buys remaining stake in loss-making PT Health September 9, 2015 Troubled insurance outsourcer Quindell has acquired the remaining 50.1 per cent stake in Canadian rehabilitation provider PT Healthcare Solutions. Quindell is issuing nearly 9.5 million shares for the acquisition, which is expected to close in mid-October. The deal will require approval from two-thirds of votes cast by holders of PT Health's common shares. [...]
Goldman Sachs and UBS’s £1 RBS and Lloyds bank share sale fee baffles top MPs September 9, 2015 An influential committee of MPs was puzzled yesterday by the revelation that some of the City’s biggest firms had charged the government just £1 for handling the sale of shares in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds. Top officials from UK Financial Investments (UKFI) – the body that manages the government’s stake in the lenders – [...]