Ocado June 20, 2010 THE former Goldman bankers behind Ocado certainly have chutzpah. Trying to reach a £1bn valuation in a flotation is a tall order for pretty much any firm in these times; to do so without having turned a single penny of profit is nothing short of brazen. Ocado’s product is top-drawer in many respects, there’s no [...]
Amazon’s Kindle could annoy the publishing trade October 8, 2009 AT last, Amazon’s much-hyped Kindle is upon us, with a Europe-wide release date scheduled for 19 October. For anyone who doubts just how big e-books are going to be, consider this: the Kindle version of Dan Brown’s latest book, The Lost Symbol, is outselling the hardcover edition on Amazon. Earlier this week, Forrester Research upped [...]
Amazon’s Kindle could annoy the publishing trade October 8, 2009 AT last, Amazon’s much-hyped Kindle is upon us, with a Europe-wide release date scheduled for 19 October. For anyone who doubts just how big e-books are going to be, consider this: the Kindle version of Dan Brown’s latest book, The Lost Symbol, is outselling the hardcover edition on Amazon. Earlier this week, Forrester Research upped [...]
Kindle boosts Amazon profits October 22, 2009 Online retailer Amazon yesterday said pre-tax profits surged by 62 per cent between July and September to $199m (£119m) on the same period last year. The group said sales had been boosted by sales of its Kindle e-reader. Overall sales climbed 28 per cent to $5.45bn.
Goodies certain to make dads beam June 9, 2010 DRAPER 40765 POWER DRILL £49.99 from amazon.co.uk It is a truth universally acknowledged that a dad hasn’t come of age before he has his very own power drill. This cordless model from Draper Tools is a durable option with long-lasting, fast-charing and reliable batteries that won’t fail you when you’re away from a power supply. [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 31, 2010 Sainsbury’s Finance The supermarket personal finance business yesterday said interim chief executive David Fisher has been appointed as its new permanent chief. Fisher, who has been in the interim role for five months, joined the group in January from Lloyds Banking Group, where he was group HR director for HBOS. He spent a total of [...]
Net-A-Porter is snapped up in £350m Swiss deal April 6, 2010 SHOPPING website Net-A-Porter was yesterday sold to Swiss luxury brands group Richemont in a deal valuing the business at £350m The company, founded by ex-Tatler fashion editor Natalie Massenet, was set up in a small studio in Chelsea a decade ago and now turns over £120m and employs 600 people. Massenet, said she was “very, [...]
Wall Street rises on strong March retail sales data April 8, 2010 US stocks gained yesterday after strong March retail sales increased optimism that the economic recovery is on track. Investors snapped up retailers’ shares after top US chains reported a record year-over-year increase in same-store sales for March. The sales reflected a boost in consumer demand that some investors doubted would materialize so soon. Online merchant [...]
Amazon announces roll-out of popular Kindle e-reader to 100 new countries October 7, 2009 ONLINE retail giant Amazon announced yesterday that it is introducing the Kindle, its wireless eBook reader, in more than 100 countries – including the UK. The move gives the world’s largest online retailer the widest global reach among its competitors, including chief rival Sony. But it was not clear yesterday which UK mobile network providers [...]
SPREAD BET GURU April 18, 2010 MARKET STRATEGIST josh@cityindex.com Q. Dear Josh, JP Morgan’s earnings were very good, what will this mean for the other banks? A. I take a balanced view on this. That JP Morgan announced much better earnings than the market had first anticipated, a 57 per cent rise in profits, is a good sign for the bank [...]