Amazon is launches Home Services in the US – here are some of the most random things you can order March 30, 2015 Amazon has come a long way from starting as an online book store 20 years ago – from today, people in the US can buy professional help via its website. The e-commerce giant has launched its Home Services site, which spans 700 different services ranging from installation to rubbish disposal. Help will be on [...]
Richemont confirms talks with Yoox over Net-a-Porter takeover March 30, 2015 It turns out that Richemont, the private equity owner of Net-a-Porter, is in talks with Yoox, Net-a-Porter's Italian rival, over a possible "deal". The news follows rumours last week that Amazon was sniffing around the luxury shopping site, with a deal thought to be worth as much as €2bn (£1.47bn) on the cards. But today [...]
Quindell share price soars following news of sale to Slater & Gordon March 30, 2015 Following a lengthy "will they, won't they" back-and-forth worthy of any soap opera, Quindell has finally agreed to sell its professional services arm to law firm Slater & Gordon, with most of the proceeds to be given back to shareholders. The division accounts for around 90 per cent of the company. Quindell intends to use [...]
Alliance Trust braced for more personal attacks March 29, 2015 The battle between Alliance Trust and activist investor Elliott Advisors is set to get more tense and bitter in the coming weeks, with both sides rallying supporters ahead of next month’s annual general meeting. Elliott wants to appoint three new directors to the investment group’s board, arguing the FTSE 250 firm needs more industry experience, [...]
Crunch time for troubled Serco Group as vote on proposed rights issue looms March 29, 2015 Shareholders in troubled outsourcing firm Serco will vote today on a proposed rights issue, aimed at raising £550m. The company’s shares dipped by over 30 per cent in the hours following the announcement of its plans in November, which came along with a profit warning for 2014. Serco stated at the time that it would [...]
John Cridland to quit top lobbyist post at the CBI March 29, 2015 The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is looking for a new boss, as its director general John Cridland plans to step down after five years at the top. The business lobby group began advertising for a replacement yesterday. Cridland has spent his entire career at the CBI, joining straight from university as a policy adviser [...]
Marks & Spencer patches up sales at clothing arm March 29, 2015 Marks and Spencer is expected to report an improvement in sales at its general merchandise arm as the retailer recovers from its recent warehousing debacle and thanks to fewer clothes being left on the shelves. Citi, joint broker to M&S, expects the high street chain to report a 0.1 per cent decline in underlying sales [...]
Finance sector upbeat as firms see profit jump March 29, 2015 Financial services firms are full of optimism following three months of surging business volumes and higher profits, a new set of survey data shows today. However, the survey was undertaken prior to the introduction of a bank levy that was announced in the recent Budget. The survey was also blighted by a decline in employment [...]
Mid-sized firms raise £5.2bn on Aim to boost investment plans March 29, 2015 Growing businesses raised £5.2bn in cash calls on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) last year, the highest level since 2010, according to figures out today from Capita Asset Services. The rise in fundraisings is continuing into 2015 – in February alone, there were 42 cash calls, a rise of 24 per cent on the year. [...]
Stock market flotations grind to a halt ahead of General Election March 29, 2015 The expected flood of initial public offerings (IPOs) racing to debut on the stock market ahead of the election has barely materialised, analysts at EY said today. Market commentators had expected a rush of floating firms as sellers tried to cash out before the uncertainty of the General Election, combined with any potential coalition negotiations [...]