Smiths Group set to spin off medical arm after sale stopped in September November 14, 2018 Shares in engineer Smiths Group soared on plans to spin off its healthcare unit after a proposed sale to ICU Medical fell through in September. The disposal of Smiths Medical, which was reportedly valued at around £7bn in the ICU deal, will allow the group to focus on its remaining industrial technology operations. Smiths also [...]
Macy’s raises outlook after delivering strong third quarter results November 14, 2018 Macy’s said it is “gaining momentum and delivering results”, after boosting its sales and profit guidance for the holiday period following solid results born out of the booming US economy. The department store chain says like-for-like sales rise by 3.3 per cent in the third quarter, with income more than doubling from $30m (£23.12) to $62m [...]
Dentsu Aegis chief executive Jerry Buhlmann steps down November 14, 2018 Dentsu Aegis Network chief executive Jerry Buhlmann is stepping down after nine years in the role, the company said today. The advertising agency said Buhlmann will formally step down on 31 December, but will continue working in an advisory capacity. He will be replaced by the company’s executive chairman, Tim Andree, who will combine the two [...]
Government caves on fixed-odds betting terminal reform in face of parliamentary backlash November 14, 2018 The government has U-turned on delayed changes to fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), bringing forward a widely called-for cap on stakes to April, after the sports minister resigned over the issue. Shares in gambling companies rallied sharply on the news with GVC up 8.1 per cent, Paddy Power Betfair up 7.5 per cent, William Hill up 2.1 [...]
Deutsche Bank to revise cost-cutting target, says finance chief James von Moltke November 14, 2018 Deutsche Bank has sped up its cost-cutting plan, chief financial officer James von Moltke revealed today. Previously, the bank said it is aiming to lower expenses to €21bn (£18.31bn) by 2021, however von Moltke said today that costs may need to be “substantially lower.” “We need to do better than that," von Moltke said at a conference [...]
Time to shine a light on how the ticketing industry really works November 14, 2018 Have you ever sat at your computer waiting for event tickets to go on sale, only to find them sold out suspiciously quickly? Or have you ever had an extra ticket that you’ve wanted to transfer to someone or re-sell, but were stopped by restrictive technology or terms and conditions? It’s a common experience for [...]
Sports Direct confirms closures of four more House of Fraser stores around the UK November 14, 2018 Four more House of Fraser branches are set to close under new owner Sports Direct as negotiations with a landlord broke down. House of Fraser said today that its Intu-owned sites in Norwich and Nottingham, as well as shopping centre stores in Lakeside in Essex and Metrocentre in Gateshead, will close in early 2019. The [...]
Brexit: Theresa May warned she will lose support of her party over draft deal November 14, 2018 Theresa May was today warned she will lose the support of Conservative MPs if a draft Brexit agreement could see the UK being kept in a customs union with the EU. Veteran Brexit supporter Peter Bone issued the stark warning to the Prime Minister less than two hours before a meeting of the cabinet to [...]
London house prices: Homes in the capital lose value despite the UK’s resilient property market November 14, 2018 London house prices fell 0.3 per cent in the year to September, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today. Growth in the capital lagged far behind the UK-wide average, which was 3.5 per cent, a small increase from 3.1 per cent last month. The growth puts the average house price across the country [...]
Here are the six (yes, six) reviews the audit sector is currently facing November 14, 2018 As 2018 continues to be the annus horribilis of audit, bean counters are finding that sector reviews are, as the saying goes, like buses. With news this week that MPs are going to launch their own super-inquiry, the sector now faces six reviews. If that seems like more than you’ve got to grips with, here’s a [...]