Taylor Wimpey builds up return to shareholders July 30, 2014 TAYLOR Wimpey said yesterday it plans to accelerate cash returns to shareholders next year after the UK’s buoyant housing market helped the housebuilder deliver a strong first half performance. The group posted a 64 per cent jump in adjusted pre-tax profits to £178.4m for the six months to 29 June, compared with the same time [...]
Travis Perkins profits jump as tradesmen pick up their tools July 30, 2014 BUILDERS’ Merchant Travis Perkins posted a jump in first half profits on the back of improving market conditions and increasing customer confidence. The owner of Wickes, City Plumbing and Tile Giant said pre-tax profits rose by 19.4 per cent in the six months 30 June to £162.5m and increased its interim dividend by 22.5 per [...]
Home hunters drive record traffic for property website Rightmove as UK recovery takes hold July 30, 2014 RIGHTMOVE said a record number of home hunters visiting its website helping to lift profits in the first half by 32 per cent to £58.8m. The number of enquiries from would-be homeowners jumped by 27 per cent to a record 22.3m in the six months to 30 June as the recovery in the property market [...]
Consultants WS Atkins survives strong pound to hit targets July 30, 2014 WS ATKINS, the design and engineering consultancy group, yesterday said it overcame the strength of sterling last quarter to trade in line with expectations. The FTSE listed group, which operates in the UK, Europe, middle east and Asia, said its forecasts were unchanged for the year, despite sterling’s strength. The company earns revenues in foreign [...]
Freezing winter chills National Express profits July 30, 2014 EXTREME freezing winter weather in the US, strikes in Spain and the strength of sterling hit first-half profits at UK-based transport giant National Express, despite it winning £5bn worth of contracts so far this year. Operating profit fell to £89.5m in the first half of 2014, down from £97.2m over the same period last year, [...]
Funeral group Dignity’s quiet first half of 2014 keeps revenue and profit flat July 30, 2014 Funeral services group Dignity yesterday reported revenue in the six months to 27 June 2014 was the same at £133.1m with pre-tax profit down by £500,000 to £31.5m. The Sutton Coldfield-based firm, which arranged the 1965 state funeral of Winston Churchill, also reported that operating profit was up by £600,000 to £44.8m. Dignity said the [...]
Aer Lingus ups profit forecast despite strike July 30, 2014 AER LINGUS yesterday restored its full-year profit forecast for 2014, now expected to be in line with its €61.1m (£48.3m) operating profit last year, only six weeks after it had warned of a possible drop in profits of up to 20 per cent owing to strike action. The improved profit outlook came as the Irish [...]
Airbus profits fly up 50 per cent as it looks to sell Dassault stake July 30, 2014 AIRBUS saw a lift off in its net income for the first half of 2014 as it rose 50 per cent to €1.14bn (£903m), with revenue up six per cent to €27.2bn, as the aircraft manufacturer said it was mulling options for the sale of its 46.3 per cent stake in Dassault Aviation. The stake [...]
Peugeot shares soar as its auto division roars back into profit July 30, 2014 SHARES in French carmaker Peugeot-Citroën zoomed up over six per cent yesterday, after the company revealed strong improvement in operating income. In addition, its auto division was back in profit for the first time in three years, as its four year turnaround strategy began to bear fruit. Consolidated operating income before one time items and [...]
City Moves for 31 July 2014 | Who’s switching jobs July 30, 2014 BJSS The IT consultancy has announced the appointment of Grant Thomas as head of practice. He joins from Barclaycard, where he was head of business change. Thomas has also previously held senior roles at IBM, PwC, and Accenture. Nikko Asset Management Stefanie Drews has been appointed global head of institutional marketing and proposition at the [...]