Lego builds higher profit thanks to cinema tie-ups March 1, 2012 TOY firm Lego posted a sharp rise in profits yesterday, boosted by bumper sales of its popular Star Wars and Harry Potter tie-ins. Net income at the company increase by 12 per cent to a record 4.16bn Danish krone (£470m) in 2011, while revenues rose 17 per cent to reach 18.7bn krone. The group said [...]
WHY DO YOU THINK LEGO IS STILL SO POPULAR IN THE AGE OF VIDEO GAMES? March 1, 2012 AMY WRIGHT | BUCK “Lego engages the imagination. Children can create something they thought of themselves whereas a video game is pre-conceived by someone else. Video games also reach an end, but the possibilities with Lego are endless.” RICHARD WILLIAMS | HUDSON “It’s quite a versatile product. Lego’s success is also down to the fact [...]
London 2012 IMAGE OF THE WEEK March 1, 2012 ON BOARD | THE RINGS This week, Boris Johnson launched a set of giant Olympic rings onto the Thames to mark 150 days until the start of the Games. Pictured here floating past the Tower of London, the rings took in Canary Wharf and the City before heading back into storage. Photo: Laura Lean / [...]
Kazakhmys is hit by rising output costs March 1, 2012 COPPER miner Kazakhmys posted a flat core profit for 2011 as stronger metal prices were offset by an 18 per cent rise in production costs, including soaring wages for skilled workers in Kazakhstan, home to its core operations. The FTSE 100 miner announced a higher-than-expected 27 per cent dividend hike but warned it was unlikely [...]
Oil firms see slump in market value March 1, 2012 INDEPENDENT oil explorers saw their market value hit last year, a new league table compiled by Deloitte has revealed. The market capitalisation of the UK’s 25 biggest companies in the sector fell from £32.2bn in 2010 to £27.8bn. The fall came as investors shied away from projects viewed as risky amid volatile world markets. However [...]
Bombardier suffers dip in plane deliveries this year March 1, 2012 BOMBARDIER expects a drop in aircraft deliveries and related profit margins in 2012, but the world’s third-biggest commercial plane maker said yesterday it is well positioned for any recovery in the aerospace sector, thanks to a growing number of customers for its new C-Series planes. The company said its net profit was $214m (£134m) for [...]
Chevron in move to tap into Russia’s Arctic oil March 1, 2012 US oil major Chevron has held talks with a Russian government official in a bid to exploit some of the country’s Arctic oil reserves. The reserves are currently off limits for non-state corporations, but Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources said the situation is under review. The statement came a day after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir [...]
Weir renews Ludowici offer March 1, 2012 Engineer Weir Group yesterday renewed its $10 a share bid for Ludowici, as it tries to beat rival FLSmidth to a deal. The board of Ludowici, said yesterday it continued to recommend the FLSmidth bid to shareholders in the absence of a higher offer. However Weir has appealed against a decision by the Australian takeovers [...]
Chemring has record order book March 1, 2012 Defence contractor Chemring said yesterday it has a record order book of £997m. Revenue during the first three months was £137m, in line with the board’s expectations but sales have been flat while the company, which makes ejector seats and pyrotechnic decoys for military aircraft, reported delays with contracts.
Howden restores its dividend March 1, 2012 British kitchen supplier Howden Joinery said yesterday that it would pay its first dividend for four years as it met forecasts with a nine per cent rise in 2011 profit. The firm, which emerged from the old MFI Furniture business, said yesterday that after ending the year with net cash of £57.1m it would pay [...]
