Rio Tinto mulls spin-off of Aussie aluminium unit September 26, 2011 MINING giant Rio Tinto is considering spinning off part of its aluminium assets in Australia. The company is understood to be working with Macquarie Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers on options for its aluminium operations, which could come under pressure if the Australia government’s proposed carbon tax comes into force. The miner said it would not comment [...]
Alere holds firm on Axis September 26, 2011 ALERE, the US medical diagnostics firm involved in a £230m hostile takeover for UK firm Axis-Shield, yesterday maintained its bid price but lowered its acceptance threshold, as it looked unlikely that the US firm will win over enough shareholders for a full takeover. Alere, which had set 90 per cent acceptance as a condition for [...]
Tumblr’s new funds value it at $800m September 26, 2011 BLOGGING site Tumblr said yesterday it has raised $85m (£54.6m) to help fund expansion, in an investment drive that values the firm at $800m. Prominent tech investors such as Sequoia Capital and Greylock Partners were among those named as investors in Tumblr, which provides a free, photo-focused blogging platform. Sir Richard Branson is also thought [...]
LONDON & STAMFORD BUYS FLATS IN OVAL September 26, 2011 Property firm London & Stamford said it has completed the acquisition of a residential block near Oval, south London, for £24.4m. The company said it had exchanged contracts with Kilmorie Investments for the long leasehold interest of 74 private residential units on Clapham Road, a month after it bought residential block in Islington for £50m.
Buffett buys another 34m Tesco shares September 26, 2011 BILLIONAIRE US investor Warren Buffett has nudged up his stake in retailer Tesco in what is being seen as a vote of confidence in new chief executive Phil Clarke. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway last has bought around 34m Tesco shares for about £120m, lifting its stake in the British supermarket group to 3.64 per cent from [...]
Intertek names new chariman as David Reid September 26, 2011 BRITISH testing firm Intertek has announced that outgoing Tesco chairman David Reid will join the firm to fill the same role next January. Intertek, which tests products from toys and clothes to oil and renewable technology, said Reid, also a former chairman of Kwik-Fit Group, would replace Vanni Treves, who will retire on 1 January [...]
Flying Brands sells off property assets September 26, 2011 STRUGGLING home shopping retailer Flying Brands, in which entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter owns a stake, yesterday confirmed the disposal of a building on the island of Jersey, as it attempts to pay off its £1.7m banking loan. Jersey-based property developer JAJ Properties has agreed to pay £2.1m in cash and ten per cent in any [...]
Finsbury Foods earnings climb despite downturn September 26, 2011 FINSBURY Foods, the UK’s second largest supermarket cake supplier, said yesterday it saw an increase in profits despite the economic downturn. The group, which makes cakes for Weightwatchers, Thorntons and Disney, said its underlying profits rose by 8.3 per cent to £5m for the year to 2 July, after sales rose by 12.6 per cent [...]
German firms downbeat on next half year September 26, 2011 BUSINESS confidence in Germany for the coming six months has sunk to its lowest level since June 2009, a leading survey revealed yesterday. The Ifo business climate’s expectations sub-index fell for the seventh straight month, measuring 98 points for September — down from 100 last month. Yet the headline Ifo index — which also includes [...]
Broadbent hints at fresh QE September 26, 2011 THE PROSPECT of a second phase of quantitative easing was heightened yesterday by a dovish speech by senior Bank of England official Ben Broadbent (pictured right). The pound edged lower after Broadbent provided a downbeat outlook for the economy, stating: “Most importantly for policy today, the international environment is clearly disinflationary.” But sterling later recovered [...]