Work-life balance: There is no wealth but life – and work needs to fit in around that August 13, 2015 Work-life balance has become a common buzzphrase, especially with the ongoing Tube strikes, supposedly sparked by the changes the Night Tube will cause to Tube workers' home and social lives. Like all clichés, it has its roots in something really crucial – but it is my belief that the concept is becoming redundant. Simply [...]
Marks & Spencer’s share price tumbles as womenswear boss Frances Russell leaves August 13, 2015 Marks & Spencer's share price has fallen by almost two per cent this morning on the news of yet another shake-up at the troubled high street chain that will see its womenswear boss Frances Russell step down. Russell, who has led the womenswear business for three years, will be replaced by M&S’s lingerie boss [...]
End of an era: SunGard Data Systems finally sold by backers August 13, 2015 One of the biggest buyouts of the pre-crash US private equity boom has finally been sold, a decade after its audacious takeover. SunGard Data Systems, which makes trading software, has been offloaded for $9.2bn (£5.9bn) to US financial software company Fidelity National Information Services. New York-listed Fidelity will pay 45 per cent in cash and [...]
Sainsbury’s TU clothing website goes national August 13, 2015 Sainsbury’s has launched its TU clothing website across the UK for the first time today, as it seeks to challenge high street rivals and bolster its position in fashion. The supermarket chain, which has been trialling its online service since August last year, said its TU womenswear, menswear and childrenswear are now available for next [...]
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp sales fall short of expectations August 12, 2015 The figures News Corp’s sales missed analysts’ expectations, with total revenue falling two per cent to $2.14bn from $2.19bn. Rupert Murdoch’s publishing company reported a net loss of $379m, against a $12m profit a year ago. At 7 cents, earnings per share beat forecasts, with analysts’ predicting earnings per share of 5 cents. News Corp [...]
Struggling banks must not be immune to watchdog’s bite August 12, 2015 It's two years since “saying it with Flowers” gained entry into the lexicon of British banking. This week’s dual censure from the banking and City regulators will have felt like groundhog day to Niall Booker and the rest of the Co-operative Bank’s management. The Treasury Select Committee and a review by Sir Christopher [...]
Gold prices rise for fifth consecutive day on worries about China’s economic slowdown August 12, 2015 The price of gold went up for the fifth day in a row today, as uncertainty about China’s flagging economic growth had investors fleeing to safer havens. Rising 1.4 per cent to $1,124.01 an ounce, gold prices are recovering from the five-year low that had gold miners feeling the squeeze. Mining companies were buoyed by [...]
Did Google forget to Google Alphabet? BMW owns Alphabet.com – and has no intention of selling August 12, 2015 Looks like Google forgot to Google Alphabet before radically restructuring their whole company. Google’s new parent company won’t be able to register alphabet.com, because it’s already owned by German carmaker BMW, who have a fleet of cars under the same name, and are unamused to say the least by Google’s surprise move. The two giants [...]
Mapped: These are London’s “filthiest” supermarkets August 12, 2015 Hygiene inspectors have found around a third of Britain's "filthiest supermarkets" are located in London, according to data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) crunched by the Mirror. The FSA ranking stretches from zero which means urgent improvement is required, to "5" which means the hygiene standards are very good. Those listed were among a handful of [...]
G4S revenue up as new contract sales reach £1.4bn August 12, 2015 G4S said revenues rose to £3.3bn in the first half of this year, thanks to new contracts and growth in emerging markets. G4S share price is trading 0.8 per cent down on the news at 264.9p. The figures The outsourcing giant reported underlying profit before interest, tax and amortisation of £193m in the first six months [...]