Travis Perkins plans 400 new stores as housing market grows March 19, 2015 Travis Perkins has announced plans to create 4,000 jobs by opening 400 new branches across the UK over the next four years. The majority of the positions will be outside London and the south east and consist of apprenticeships for younger people, branch managers, assistant managers, skilled IT professionals and supply chain specialists. The builders’ [...]
Homebase snaps up former Tesco exec Echo Lu March 19, 2015 DIY chain Homebase has poaches its latest managing director from the embattled supermarket Tesco. Echo Lu, who was previously head of group business planning and insight at Tesco, will join on April 20. John Walden, chief executive of Home Retail Group, said. Echo has significant, broad-based retail experience both in the UK and the rapidly evolving [...]
Profits dive 73 per cent at Angry Birds maker Rovio, but new 3D film could lead to a second lift-off March 19, 2015 The popularity of Angry Birds has well and truly waned. Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish company behind the video game that soared to success after its launch in 2009, experienced a 73 per cent drop in operating profits to €10m (£7.2m) last year, along with a nine per cent drop in total sales. By comparison, profits [...]
One chart showing how much the finance sector dominates the FTSE 100 March 19, 2015 The FTSE 100 is dominated by companies in the financial and retail sectors, with these making up 43 per cent of the UK’s top companies. There are 23 FTSE 100 companies in the financials sector – which includes 10 in insurance and five in banking. The largest of these companies is HSBC, with a market [...]
Ted Baker sales and profits driven up by strong performance in Europe and the US March 19, 2015 Ted Baker grew in its established markets last year, and expanded to new areas. The figures During the 53 weeks to 31 January, Ted Baker's retail sales rose 18.4 per cent to £306.9m, while pre-tax profits jumped to £49.5m – 20.4 per cent higher than in 2013. This exceeded the British fashion brand's expected profit [...]
Next share price falls after it cautions over year ahead March 19, 2015 The figures Next said that total sales for the year to the end of January rose seven per cent to £4bn, up from £3.7bn a year earlier. Pre-tax profit jumped 12.5 per cent to £782.2m, up from £695.2m a year earlier. This was at the upper end of expectations set in December which forecast full-year pre-tax [...]
Record results for Savills as market conditions improve across Europe and the US March 19, 2015 Savills has reported “record results” for 2014, with better market conditions aiding a return to profitability. The figures International expansion helped drive Savills' pre-tax profit up by 34 per cent to £104.3m in 2014, compared with £75.2m the year before. During the 12 months to 31 December, revenue for the London-listed property firm revenue [...]
RBS scraps Amsterdam listing in latest sign of global withdrawal March 18, 2015 RBS abandoned its listing on Euronext Amsterdam yesterday, as so few traders buy and sell stocks on the exchange. The Dutch listing is a legacy of RBS’ ill-fated acquisition of ABN Amro in 2007, which contributed to the bank’s collapse and subsequent bailout the following year. But since then RBS has slashed its overseas and [...]
Henderson Group fund managers get bumper bonus March 18, 2015 Staff at investment firm Henderson Group saw their bonus pool increase to £144m after seeing a 22 per cent rise in management fees during 2014. Henderson said the increase in the bonus pool was a reward for strong net flows, investment performance and business performance and marks an 11 per cent rise on last year. [...]
Imagination Technologies share price slumps on 2015 forecast March 18, 2015 Shares in multimedia tech firm Imagination Technologies tumbled yesterday after it lowered expectations for revenue growth for 2015, it emerged yesterday. Imagination technologies, founded in 1985, listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1994 and is a key provider of graphics technology to Apple. The company said it expected revenue to be broadly flat [...]