Walker to bid £1bn for food firm Iceland October 10, 2010 THE boss of frozen food chain Iceland is planning a £1bn takeover of the firm he founded four decades ago, although he faces a potential bid battle, it emerged yesterday. Malcolm Walker, who together with other managers owns about a quarter of the retailer, is thought to have offered to buy the remaining 76 per cent [...]
City commercial property figures to tell conference about upward trends May 26, 2010 LONDON’S commercial property market is in an upward swing, according to City figures who feel bullish about the city’s future. A delegation of members from the commercial property sector will today hear the challenges and reality of London’s future as a world city at the annual British Council for Offices. Held for the first time [...]
SuperGroup sales surge as youth spending stays strong May 11, 2010 YOUTH fashion retailer SuperGroup, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in March, saw sales soar by 83 per cent to £139m in the year to 2 May. The company, whose Superdry brand is sported by celebrities including David Beckham, said it expected to make a pre-tax profit of at least £25.7m. SuperGroup has 43 [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 17, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES FERROUS STEELS ITSELF FOR LONDON FLOAT Ferrous Resources, the Brazilian iron ore miner, confirmed its intention to list in London next month, adding momentum to a new round of mining and energy flotations in the capital of resources finance. With an expected valuation of about $4bn (£2.8bn), Ferrous could be the biggest “pure-play” [...]
Al-Fayed offloads Harrods to Qatar for over £1.5bn May 9, 2010 BRITAIN’S most iconic luxury department store, Harrods of Knightsbridge, has been sold to the Qatar royal family for over £1.5bn, after a quarter of a century in the hands of Egyptian mogul Mohamed Al-Fayed. News of the deal came despite 81-year-old Al-Fayed’s avowed intention never to sell the racing green-fronted store, claiming last month that [...]
Revitalise for spring May 3, 2010 1.HEAD TO THE PARK ONE of London’s best features is its multitude of open green spaces – and while they’re fabulous places for a jog, they can also be used for more organised training. Fitness company One Element runs group training sessions in spaces including Battersea Park, Wandsworth Common, Richmond Park and Parsons Green, with [...]
HOW POSITIVE WERE THE FULL-YEAR FIGURES YESTERDAY FROM STOCKBROKER COLLINS STEWART? March 18, 2010 JEREMY GRIME | ARDEN PARTNERS Collins Stewart is delivering ahead of our expectations, with pre-tax profit of £21.8m coming in 15 per cent ahead of our forecast of £19m. It is growing its wealth management arm, has fixed the problems with the UK business and there are signs the loss-making US business may now be [...]
Beattie deal loses House of Fraser £72m January 25, 2010 DEPARTMENT store group House of Fraser has revealed a £72m loss on its acquisition of James Beattie, the clothing retailer it bought near the top of the market in 2005. The mammoth write-down more than wipes out the £69.3m price tag House of Fraser paid for the business five years ago, and reflects a slump [...]
Supergroup flotation is on February 15, 2010 Fashion retailer Supergroup yesterday confirmed it was pressing ahead with plans for an IPO despite several major flotations being called off in the last week. The company hopes to raise £125m from the listing, valuing it at £400m. Chief executive Julian Dunkerton yesterday began a roadshow to drum up investor support for the IPO before [...]
Severn Trent latest to back Diplomas February 21, 2010 UTILITIES giant Severn Trent is the latest employer to join a network of 250 companies supporting Diplomas, a government-backed programme designed to help teenagers prepare for the workplace. Severn Trent chief executive Tony Wray has joined a growing number of organisations supporting the programme, including House of Fraser, the British Chambers of Commerce and Chartered [...]