Sweet lift for Finsbury on takeover talk June 1, 2009 CAKE maker Finsbury Foods yesterday confirmed it had received a preliminary bid approach, stirring investors and its share price. But the firm said that talks were in the very early stages and said there was “considerable doubt that an offer will be forthcoming from this party”. The group, which owns the rights to Weight Watchers’ [...]
WPP facing vote on bonus scheme June 1, 2009 WPP could today be the latest FTSE 100 company to feel shareholder backlash against bonuses, as it asks investors to approve a new scheme that could see chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell bank around £60m. Concerns that such a large sum could be paid to a single executive prompted the Association of British Insurers (ABI) [...]
Sterling hits seven month high against the US dollar June 1, 2009 STERLING gained against a broadly falling US dollar yesterday, as share prices rose on expectations for the global economy to stabilise, prompting investors to cautiously shift towards riskier assets. The pound rose to a seven-month high against the dollar, while it also gained against the euro and the yen. The dollar fell broadly, hitting its [...]
O’Driscoll in chance to heal Lions scars June 1, 2009 IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll will have a chance to exorcise demons when he skippers the British and Irish Lions tomorrow against Golden Lions. O’Driscoll will lead the team for the first time since his ill-fated 2005 tour, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the first minute of the opening Test against New Zealand. The [...]
Factory order books show signs of life June 1, 2009 THE British manufacturing sector contracted at its slowest pace in a year in May according to the monthly purchasing managers’ index (PMI) published yesterday, fuelling further optimism that an economic recovery could be on its way. The CIPS/Markit index rose for the third month in a row to 45.4 in May, above April’s figure of [...]
Markets lifted by Chinese manufacturing expansion June 1, 2009 NEWS that China’s manufacturing sector expanded in May for the third consecutive month boosted optimism and lifted world markets yesterday. China’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 53.1 from 53.5 in April, but remained above the critical 50 level, which separates expansion from contraction. Investors were relieved that the pace of contraction was slowing [...]
Blanchflower: jobless to rise 100k a month June 1, 2009 BRITISH unemployment will continue to rise this year and next, adding some 100,000 more to jobless numbers a month, former Bank of England monetary policy committee (MPC) member David Blanchflower said yesterday. Blanchflower, who stepped down from the MPC at the end of last month, said the current recession made the economic outlook particularly difficult [...]
London claims more victims June 1, 2009 IT was described as the tournament that no-one wanted to win, but the fact than no one player took a firm grasp of the European Open trophy just goes to show how tough the London GC in Ash, Kent is. I’m fortunate to have won there twice and know just how difficult the back nine [...]
Legend O’Brien dies aged 92 June 1, 2009 RACING: Vincent O’Brien, considered by many to be the greatest racehorse trainer of all time, died yesterday at his home in Co Kildare, Ireland, aged 92. O’Brien, who ended his 51-year career in 1994, claimed 16 English and 27 Irish Classic victories, 25 Royal Ascot wins and 23 Cheltenham Festival successes.
High-profile Bath trio quit club June 1, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Bath joint captains Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett, and winger Andrew Higgins, yesterday resigned from the club – hours before an internal hearing into allegations they refused to take drug tests. The trio deny refusing to take tests, calling the claims “scurrilous and unsubstantiated”. The Rugby Football Union has asked Bath for more [...]
