Kraft shares jump 30 per cent as Warren Buffett and 3G Capital confirm plans to merge it with Heinz in $40bn takeover March 25, 2015 Ketchup and cheese single sandwich, anyone? Warren Buffett has confirmed plans to merge processed cheese maker Kraft with Heinz, creating the Kraft Heinz Company, pushing shares in the company up more than 30 per cent in after-hours trading. Last night it was rumoured Brazilian private equity giant 3G Capital, which joint-owns Heinz with Buffett's Berkshire [...]
Moneysupermarket share price falls as 6.4 per cent share sale is scrapped March 25, 2015 Moneysupermarket.com became the biggest faller on the FTSE 250 in early trading after the sale of a 6.4 per cent stake in the business was cancelled. Shares in the business fell 5.5 per cent to 270p – although they have climbed by more than a fifth this year. The insurance comparison site's founder, Simon Nixon, [...]
Monitise share price falls as founder Alastair Lukies exits and sale option is ditched March 25, 2015 Monitise shares tanked 17 per cent in early trading as the British tech firm took itself off the market and revealed its founder and co-chief executive is exiting. Alastair Lukies is stepping down, leaving Elizabeth Buse as sole chief executive, although he will remain as a strategic adviser. At the beginning of the year, the struggling Aim-listed [...]
Balfour Beatty suspends dividend after £59m losses in 2014 March 25, 2015 The figures Balfour Beatty, the beleaguered construction firm, continues to suffer, posting total losses of £59m in 2014. The firm won't pay out a final dividend. Pre-tax losses came in at £304m in the year to the end of December compared to £185m the previous year, on revenue of £8.9bn. The firm also has negative [...]
Tui upbeat after strong demand for unique holidays and rise in online bookings March 25, 2015 The numbers Tui group has issued an optimistic trading statement. Average selling prices in the majority of source markets is toward the higher end and are up one per cent. Online bookings have climbed 12 per cent over the past six months and summer bookings are up one per cent. Why it's interesting In January, following [...]
Bellway profits soar on back of strong housing demand March 25, 2015 The numbers Homebuilder Bellway has reported a jump in profit before tax of 53 per cent to £159m for the half year ended 31 January. Revenue climbed 18.7 per cent to £831.2m. In good news for shareholders, dividends per share soared 56 per cent to 25p. Completions for the period rose 15.7 per cent from the [...]
The number of women on FTSE 100 boards has almost doubled in the last four years March 25, 2015 Gender diversity on the FTSE 100 has taken a big jump towards reaching government targets, and has almost doubled in four years. The annual report by Lord Davies of Abersoch shows that companies are making efforts to meet the government’s target of 25 per cent, with the total now at 23.5 per cent. That's an [...]
Women are on board in the FTSE 100, but job is not finished March 24, 2015 The number of women on FTSE 100 firms’ boards has almost doubled over the past four years, a government report released today will show. However, there is still scepticism over whether firms are boosting their numbers by bringing in female non-executive members, instead of promoting women into executive roles through their internal structures. The report, [...]
Mentoring critical to having more FTSE female board members, say women on boards March 24, 2015 As a government report points to a more than doubling of women on FTSE boards, three women give the lowdown on life in the boardroom, and how more women can get there. Anne Richards Anne Richards had “wandered through life not really worrying about the gender mix of a board”. However, the chief investment officer [...]
AA plans to raise £200m through share placing March 24, 2015 Roadside recovery business the AA is preparing to raise £200m through a share placing, as part of a refinancing plan aimed at reducing its debt of £2.7bn. The company will also refinance £735m of its senior debt facilities, in plans that could be announced today. Investors who have been approached about the placing are thought [...]