St Modwen hails record profits as New Covent Garden Market scheme boosts net asset value June 30, 2015 St Modwen posted a 21 per cent surge in net asset value (Nav) in the first half of the year thanks to its New Covent Garden Market scheme in Nine Elms, which achieved unconditional status in April. The developer reported an Nav per share of 394p after its planned overhaul of the UK’s biggest fruit [...]
Tesco share price falls, sales slide as discounters march on ahead June 30, 2015 Tesco shares were dealt a blow yesterday, after industry figures revealed another slowdown in sales at the troubled supermarket chain – despite its recent efforts to turn itself around. Data from Kantar Worldpanel showed sales at Tesco fell by 1.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to 21 June, underperforming the overall grocery [...]
Galliford Try awarded £360m Silvertown Way development to build 1,100 homes in Canning Town June 30, 2015 Galliford Try has been awarded a contract by the Greater London Authority to build the £360m Silvertown Way development in Canning Town. The project, which will be delivered through its joint venture with Thames Valley Housing Association, will see Galliford Try build more than 1,100 homes, making it the largest standalone housing scheme the company [...]
Apple broke antitrust laws by working with publishers to increase e-book prices, US court rules June 30, 2015 A federal appeals court in the US has ruled that Apple conspired with publishers to increase the prices of e-books. Read more: Apple antitrust case on brink of collapse It said today that the technology giant broke antitrust laws when it worked with the likes of Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster to [...]
Angela Merkel: Germany won’t discuss Greek bailout deal until after Greek referendum June 30, 2015 Angela Merkel has said Germany won't consider a new proposal from Greece until after Sunday's referendum, after the country proposed a new two-year bailout extension to its creditors. Read more: Tsipras's costly referendum gamble may harm more than just the Greeks Under Greece's new proposal, the funds would be supplied by the European bailout fund, known [...]
Willis Group to merge with Tower Watson in $18bn deal June 30, 2015 Reinsurance broker Willis Group is set to merge with risk management group Towers Watson in a deal worth $18bn. On completion the deal will result in Willis owning 50.1 per cent of the combined group. Towers Watson shareholdings will own the remainder, keeping Willis’ Irish domicile, the Financial Times reported today. The deal will create [...]
Sky wants the markets watchdog to investigate BT Openreach June 30, 2015 Sky wants media regulator Ofcom to launch a full investigation into the UK’s broadband market and get the competition watchdog involved. Yesterday, Sky published the evidence it has submitted to Ofcom, which highlights what Sky considers to be the low quality service offered by BT’s Openreach division, which runs the UK’s telecoms network. Sky’s broadband [...]
Ocado targets international deals after beating profit expectation June 30, 2015 The figures Ocado delivered better-than-expected pre-tax profit of £7.2m in the first half of the year, amid reports the grocery delivery giant is closing in on a deal with an international retailer. Read more: Ocado's making robots that will help in the workplace Despite intense price competition in the UK's supermarket sector, Ocado enjoyed a 15.7 [...]
Germany, France and Italy warn Greek people referendum ‘no’ vote will spark exit from currency union June 29, 2015 Eurozone leaders ratcheted up the pressure on embattled Greek leader Alexis Tsipras yesterday by warning Greek voters that Sunday’s crunch bailout referendum was a vote on the return of the drachma. Amid a day of high drama in Greece, the Eurozone’s top three economies, Germany, France and Italy, raised the stakes by urging voters [...]
Who is Carolyn Fairbairn? Meet the first female director-general of the CBI June 29, 2015 The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has appointed Carolyn Fairbairn, a former director of strategy at both the BBC and ITV, as its first female director-general. Fairbairn will take the reins of Britain’s biggest business group from John Cridland later this year, the CBI announced yesterday. Cridland has led the CBI since 2011. [...]