Merlin Entertainments feels the heat over Alton Towers Smiler rollercoaster accident as boss Nick Varney tries to mitigate crisis June 3, 2015 Merlin Entertainments boss Nick Varney faced his toughest test as a public chief executive yesterday, dealing with the aftermath of a crash which seriously injured four people on the so-called Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers. Two teenagers, Joe Pugh, 18 years old, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, 17, were named as two of the [...]
Goldman Sachs’ support staff lead salary and bonus rankings again June 3, 2015 BACK office bankers are best paid at Goldman Sachs, according to a study of salaries and bonuses in the sector from Emolument.com. Staff in support functions at the prestigious investment bank receive an average salary of £87,000 with an average bonus of £38,000, taking total pay up to £125,000. The next biggest bonuses is at BNP [...]
Cairn Homes IPO: Irish homebuilder to raise about £270m in London listing June 3, 2015 Irish housebuilder Cairn Homes will raise around £270m in a London flotation to take advantage of Ireland’s resurgence by building more homes for the country’s rising population of young househunters. The company, which was formed about a year ago by Michael Stanley and Alan McIntosh, will sell shares to investors for €1 each, raising money [...]
Morrisons stays in the FTSE 100 as Aggreko drops out and Inmarsat is promoted June 3, 2015 Troubled supermarket Morrisons held on to its listing in the FTSE 100, while power outsourcer Aggreko was given the boot as part of the index's quarterly reshuffle. Satellite maker Inmarsat will replace the company, which in recent months has been hit by the strength of the pound. Meanwhile, a trio of challenger banks, including Aldermore, [...]
Merlin Entertainments share price falls again as Alton Towers stays closed following Smiler rollercoaster collision June 3, 2015 Alton Towers will remain closed today following a collision on an £18m rollercoaster which left four people seriously injured. Read more: Two carriages of Alton Towers rollercoaster Smiler collide Shares in the theme park's owner, Merlin Entertainments fell in early trading this morning, after a 3.5 per cent drop yesterday afternoon made it one of the biggest [...]
JP Morgan draws the line on staff voicemail to cut costs June 3, 2015 Many of JP Morgan's employees will no longer have voicemail once a new cost-cutting plan is rolled out. The bank is getting rid of the service, which costs $10 (£6.5) per month per person, because it says many of its staff simply don't need it. “We realized that hardly anyone uses voicemail anymore…we’re [...]
Sophos IPO: London’s biggest ever tech float is coming in July, Apax Partners reveals June 3, 2015 London is set for its biggest ever tech IPO after Sophos announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange with an expected target valuation of more than $1bn. The security software company has eschewed the trend of London's tech firms crossing the pond in favour of a Nasdaq listing and expects to make its [...]
AstraZeneca chief executive questions UK’s commitment to treating cancer June 3, 2015 AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot has warned that the UK is lagging behind in cancer care innovation, after the government's drugs approval body rejected a new ovarian cancer drug already used in France and Germany as being too expensive. Read more: Why only Scottish patients are getting the best new drugs on the NHS “How can [...]
Dixons Carphone ups full-year profit forecast after smashing expectation with fourth quarter sales June 3, 2015 The figures Sales at Dixons Carphone were up nine per cent in the fourth quarter to 2 May, higher than the four per cent analysts had predicted. The mobile and electronics retailer has upped its profit outlook for the year as a result, saying it will be "slightly above" its previous guidance of £355m to £375m. [...]
Peter Long named Royal Mail chairman succeeding Donald Brydon June 3, 2015 Royal Mail has named Peter Long as chairman, succeeding Donald Brydon who announced he was stepping down at the start of the year. The co-chief executive of travel company TUI, Long will take over from Brydon, who has been with the postal firm for six years, in September. "Long brings with him a proven track record in [...]