Fool’s gold: Virgin launches new currency this April, the Branson April 1, 2012 SIR Richard is rarely spotted without a toothy grin on his face – and who can blame him? If The Capitalist were the fourth richest person in the UK, we’d be smiling too. And now you can get your hands on some of Sir Richard’s cash, although not from his own $4.2bn pot. Virgin Holidays [...]
From petrol pumps to beer taps – it’s time to panic buy April 1, 2012 AMID the misery of massive queues for the petrol forecourt and “sold out” signs at many stations, at least one retailer has kept a sense of humour – and marketing initiative. Eager to cash in on the panic buying frenzy sweeping the nation, The Lounge in Chislehurst, Kent, responded with this cheeky advert for its [...]
ABERDEEN TO SPONSOR THE SCOTTISH OPEN April 1, 2012 ABERDEEN Asset Management’s chief executive Martin Gilbert (left) has come to the rescue of the Scottish Open, the annual golf tournament, in a sponsorship deal that will protect the competition for at least two years. Gilbert is pictured here with Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister (in the centre) and competition organiser European Tour chief executive [...]
Advertising on mobile proving better than PC April 1, 2012 ADVERTISING on mobile devices is overtaking the success of using desktop computers for marketing, with the UK leading the charge in Europe according to a report from Marin Software, published this morning. Some 15.1 per cent of Google’s paid clicks in the UK in December came from adverts on smartphone and tablets – a 280 [...]
Caledonia lifts gold output despite delays April 1, 2012 AFRICAN miner Caledonia has doubled its gold production in the last year and more than quadrupled its profit, the firm said today. Caledonia, which is joint-listed in London and Toronto, said it produced 35,826 ounces of gold during 2011, up 102 per cent on a year ago, while gross profit jumped from C$6.3m to C$29.1m [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS April 1, 2012 Essar Energy The India-focused integrated energy company has announced that it has appointed Steve Lucas as its fifth non-executive director with immediate effect. Lucas was finance director at the power and transmission network operator National Grid from 2002 to 2010 and has significant experience in the international energy sector. Prior to his position at National [...]
BEST of the BROKERS April 1, 2012 GDF SUEZ UBS rates the energy group “buy” and has a 12-month price target of €23. The broker thinks GDF’s bid for the remainder of London-listed peer International Power has come earlier than expected, although the offer itself is hardly surprising. UBS reckons the offer price of 390p per share is likely to rise, and [...]
Dip in consumer morale dents recovery hopes March 30, 2012 Consumer confidence unexpectedly fell to a three-month low in March as Britons grew increasingly worried about the outlook for their finances and for the economy as a whole, denting hopes of a consumer-fuelled recovery. The headline consumer confidence index, based on a survey by GfK NOP, fell to -31 in March from -29 in February, [...]
Spain to slash budget by €27bn this year March 30, 2012 Spain is cutting 27bn euros (£22.5bn) from its budget this year as part of an austerity drive. Freezing public sector workers’ salaries and reducing departmental budgets are among the main changes. The government says it will raise 12.3bn euros this year, aided by an increase in tax for large companies.
Capita to axe 400 IT jobs March 30, 2012 Outsourcing firm Capita (CPI.L) said on Friday that 400 jobs in its IT division were under threat, with some being cut and others moving to India as part of a cost cutting drive. “On 30 March 2012, we commenced a series of consultation exercises involving our employees and their representatives, some focused on moving elements [...]