Alibaba just invested in Snapchat: Four charts showing just how big its new $15bn valuation is March 12, 2015 Everyone’s favourite disappearing messaging app, Snapchat, has raised a new round of funding from Alibaba which values the firm at $15bn (£10bn). It’s a vote of confidence for the four-year-old app, which has just introduced a host of content-driven advertising features in a bid to start generating some revenue. The app picked up $200m from [...]
John Lewis Partnership slashes bonus as Waitrose profits fall March 12, 2015 The John Lewis Partnership, known for its generous staff incentives, has slashed the bonus payout to its partners after a hit on profits at its upmarket grocery chain Waitrose. Staff will receive a bonus of 11 per cent of their annual salary, down from last year's 15 per cent – the third annual decline in a row. [...]
Serco share price plunges as much as 16 per cent after first revenue fall in 25 years March 12, 2015 The figures Outsourcing firm Serco said full-year revenue fell to £3.95bn, down from £4.28bn a year earlier. The company also made a £1.35bn operating loss, compared to a £146m operating profit in 2013. Shares in Serco fell as much as 16 per cent to 174p in mid-morning trade as investors reacted to the results. Why it's interesting Serco's woes [...]
Challenger bank Shawbrook jumps on IPO bandwagon March 12, 2015 Shawbrook has become the latest challenger bank to announce plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, with plans to raise about £90m. The announcement of its intention to float follows an impressive showing by rival Aldermore earlier this week, whose shares closed 12 per cent higher on its first day of trading. Its shares [...]
Morrisons share price falls as it announces 23 store closures after losses mount and sales drop March 12, 2015 A bad morning for Morrisons. The supermarket announced it will close 23 stores and cutting its future dividend pay-out after reporting a large full-year loss and falling quarterly sales. Shares in the retailer opened one per cent down this morning. The trading environment is a tough one, Morrisons said, and it isn’t expected to get [...]
Cement maker Holcim confirms Lafarge merger is still on track March 11, 2015 Swiss cement firm Holcim yesterday said its proposed merger with French competitor Lafarge was continuing “unchanged” despite reports that the deal had been derailed by concerns over price. Thomas Schmidheiny, Holcim’s largest shareholder with an almost 20 per cent stake in the company, was reported to be demanding a better deal in the Swiss press [...]
Founder Graeme Minto backs Brother Industries in take over of Domino Printing Sciences March 11, 2015 The founder of Domino Printing Sciences yesterday gave his blessing to the takeover bid by Japan’s Brother Industries, saying he believed the “very good ethos” at Domino would be shared by the Japanese firm. Graeme Minto, who founded the firm in 1978, spoke of his pleasure at being able to look back over the past [...]
New chair Wolfhart Hauser aims to get FirstGroup back on track March 11, 2015 FirstGroup has announced new chairman Wolfhart Hauser will take over from John McFarlane in July, becoming the firm’s third chairman in less than 18 months. Hauser has been the chief executive of Intertek, the London-listed safety and quality service provider, since 2005. He is also is a non-executive director of Associated British Foods and of [...]
Hyatt Hotels eyeing up purchase of luxury Grosvenor House Hotel March 11, 2015 Hyatt Hotels is considering purchasing the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, after the landmark building was put up for sale earlier this month. The luxury five-star hotel on Park Lane in Mayfair was previously owned by troubled Indian conglomerate Sahara Grosvenor House Hospitality. However, its lenders called in administrators after it defaulted on a loan, [...]
Former BBC and Yahoo exec Fabiola Arredondo is joining Burberry March 11, 2015 UK fashion house Burberry yesterday appointed former BBC and Yahoo executive Fabiola Arredondo to its board. It hopes the Spanish-American will bring her digital consumer savvy to the non-executive director role and the audit, remuneration and nomination committees. Once named the most influential woman in European business, Arredondo comes to Burberry after repeatedly smashing [...]