Heathrow at its busiest thanks to new markets April 11, 2012 MORE THAN 70m people travelled through Heathrow in the last year, the airport’s busiest ever, according to figures from owner BAA out yesterday. Traffic at Britain’s busiest airport was up six per cent in the year to March, which BAA credited to the soaring popularity of its routes to newer markets such as China. Its [...]
Total says leak could stop by May April 11, 2012 A leak at Total’s North Sea Elgin gas platform could be stopped by the end of April if everything goes as planned, UK managing director Philippe Guys said yesterday. Guys said that the French oil major planned to carry out a successful “dynamic kill” on the leaking G4 well before May. “We are working hard [...]
Arcadis acquires Davis Langdon April 11, 2012 Arcadis an international consultancy, design, engineering and management services company yesterday announced that it has acquired Davis Langdon & Seah, a cost and project management consultancy working across Asia, with 2,800 people in 10 countries. DLS reported 2011 revenues of just over $125m (£78.5m) Through the deal Arcadis grows to well over 21,000 staff with [...]
Roxi abandons Kazakh well April 11, 2012 Roxi Petroleum announced yesterday that had it abandoned and plugged its NK-10 well in Kazakhstan, sending its shares down 15 per cent. The move came after drilling found high water content with only minor gas deposits which were not commercially viable. The central Asian-focused oil exploration company started drilling the well in November last year.
BMW sales soar to a new record April 11, 2012 BMW yesterday reported record first quarter sales thanks to a buoyant market in China. Group sales increased by 11.2 per cent compared with the same quarter last year, to 425,528 vehicles. BMW said its 1 Series volume model and a good start for the revamped 3 Series had contributed to the jump. The Rolls-Royce and [...]
Improving margins help WS Atkins to keep profit on track April 11, 2012 DESIGN and engineering consultant WS Atkins yesterday said it was on target for its full year forecasts while UK margins were improving. The British company said that it was on course to hit pre-tax profit estimates of £100m. It achieved a similar level in the previous year, on revenues of £1.7bn. The company is the [...]
Sainsbury’s to buy 18 Total petrol stations from Rontec April 11, 2012 J SAINSBURY said yesterday it will buy 18 Total petrol stations across the country from Rontec as the retailer looks to expand its fuel business and grow the number of convenience stores. The deal, which is subject to approval from the Office of Fair Trading, includes seven Total-branded stations in London, as well as sites [...]
Japanese stock market hit by Sony losses April 11, 2012 JAPAN’S Nikkei index fell for the seventh consecutive session yesterday, enduring its worst run in three years after Sony more than doubled its loss forecast for the year, in the wake of renewed fears over European sovereign solvency. Average share prices dropped by 0.8 per cent, with the index closing down 79.28 points at 9,458.74, [...]
India and Brazil pick up pace as exports boost output growth April 11, 2012 EMERGING economies expanded strongly in the first quarter, and have plenty of monetary and fiscal “ammunition” to bolster growth should it falter – in stark contrast to European economies, a report by HSBC argued yesterday. Manufacturing production accelerated in India and Brazil, and grew at a slightly slower pace in Russia, the study found, though [...]
Fed’s Beige Book lifts hopes for solid recovery across the States April 11, 2012 THE US economy is continuing to expand at a “modest to moderate pace,” the Federal Reserve reported last night, as the manufacturing, professional services and retail sectors all recorded strong growth. However, rising energy and fuel prices are beginning to worry producers and consumers, according to the Beige Book – a regular publication which analyses [...]