Patisserie Valerie searching for new auditor November 27, 2018 Patisserie Holdings, the parent firm of embattled cafe company Patisserie Valerie, has begun hunting for a new auditor to replace its under-fire accountant Grant Thornton. The bakery chain is in talks to find a successor to Grant Thornton, according to Sky News, days after the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it was probing the beancounter over [...]
Melrose share price tumbles following low-ball bids for GKN unit November 26, 2018 Turnaround specialist Melrose led FTSE fallers today as its share price fell over six per cent following reports of disappointing bids for one of its GKN units. Melrose, which bought aerospace company GKN in an £8bn hostile takeover earlier this year, was reportedly forced to reconsider its options after it was low-balled by bids for [...]
Ashley hits out at politicians and landlords ahead of committee hearing November 22, 2018 Mike Ashley today lashed out at politicians for failing Britain’s beleaguered high streets, as he demanded an audience with MPs in Westminster next month. The retail billionaire and Newcastle United owner, who has recently acquired House of Fraser and Evans Cycles, called on both politicians and landlords to do more to help struggling retail outlets. [...]
The Hut Group gearing up for boardroom reshuffle November 19, 2018 British online shopping giant The Hut Group is planning a major board reshuffle which would involve the departure of the company’s current chairman. The beauty retailer is set for a shake-up that would see founder and chief executive Matthew Moulding replace Richard Pennycook as chairman, according to Sky News. Pennycook, who has served as the [...]
Editor’s Notes: Nobody has a clue what’s going to happen November 16, 2018 Westminster has entered a period of chaos, marked by the usual signs of political turmoil: marquees outside parliament for camera crews, protesters desperately trying to get in shot and MPs from all sides of the debate milling around trying to get on the air. In the City, frantic movements in sterling and a sizeable hit [...]
Max Verstappen’s rivalry with Esteban Ocon dates back almost a decade and their latest spat could be the first of many in Formula One November 15, 2018 When Max Verstappen shoved Esteban Ocon on Sunday in the weighing area at the Brazilian Grand Prix, fans were given a glimpse of what could be Formula One’s next big rivalry. The pair came to blows after the race because Verstappen was furious at being denied victory by a collision with Ocon, who was attempting [...]
Showdown: Barclays boss set to meet troublesome activist investor November 11, 2018 Ever since the activist investor Edward Bramson revealed his 5 per cent stake in Barclays in March of this year, the two sides have danced around each other. The bank's chief executive, Jes Staley, aspires to lead an investment banking powerhouse. Bramson, on the other hand, wants that operation scaled back – favouring, in its [...]
Pepsico bid for British crisp brand Pipers shows more US companies hungry for UK assets November 6, 2018 Pepsico swooped on premium British crisp brand Pipers today adding to a bumper year for US acquisitions of UK firms, with deals already hitting a record $87bn (£66.4bn). The value of acquisitions has surged by a whopping $57bn since last year, according to figures compiled by Dealogic. The record figure does not include the undisclosed [...]
IWG boss mulling £2.2bn break-up of serviced office space business November 3, 2018 The world’s largest serviced office space provider is mulling a £2.2bn split which could result in swathes of the company’s international portfolio being sold off, according to Sky News. Mark Dixon, who runs IWG and founded the company under its original Regus brand, is said to be weighing up plans to split the firm into two [...]
Stephen Haddrill steps down as FRC audit watchdog boss amid probe November 2, 2018 Stephen Haddrill, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), is stepping down amid a government probe into the watchdog’s operations. Haddrill has led the FRC, which monitors and regulates the audit sector, since 2009. The news comes in the wake of mounting pressure on the FRC, which has come under examination following several recent scandals within the UK’s [...]