Fool’s gold: Virgin launches new currency this April, the Branson April 1, 2012 SIR Richard is rarely spotted without a toothy grin on his face – and who can blame him? If The Capitalist were the fourth richest person in the UK, we’d be smiling too. And now you can get your hands on some of Sir Richard’s cash, although not from his own $4.2bn pot. Virgin Holidays [...]
From petrol pumps to beer taps – it’s time to panic buy April 1, 2012 AMID the misery of massive queues for the petrol forecourt and “sold out” signs at many stations, at least one retailer has kept a sense of humour – and marketing initiative. Eager to cash in on the panic buying frenzy sweeping the nation, The Lounge in Chislehurst, Kent, responded with this cheeky advert for its [...]
ABERDEEN TO SPONSOR THE SCOTTISH OPEN April 1, 2012 ABERDEEN Asset Management’s chief executive Martin Gilbert (left) has come to the rescue of the Scottish Open, the annual golf tournament, in a sponsorship deal that will protect the competition for at least two years. Gilbert is pictured here with Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister (in the centre) and competition organiser European Tour chief executive [...]
Advertising on mobile proving better than PC April 1, 2012 ADVERTISING on mobile devices is overtaking the success of using desktop computers for marketing, with the UK leading the charge in Europe according to a report from Marin Software, published this morning. Some 15.1 per cent of Google’s paid clicks in the UK in December came from adverts on smartphone and tablets – a 280 [...]
Caledonia lifts gold output despite delays April 1, 2012 AFRICAN miner Caledonia has doubled its gold production in the last year and more than quadrupled its profit, the firm said today. Caledonia, which is joint-listed in London and Toronto, said it produced 35,826 ounces of gold during 2011, up 102 per cent on a year ago, while gross profit jumped from C$6.3m to C$29.1m [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS April 1, 2012 Essar Energy The India-focused integrated energy company has announced that it has appointed Steve Lucas as its fifth non-executive director with immediate effect. Lucas was finance director at the power and transmission network operator National Grid from 2002 to 2010 and has significant experience in the international energy sector. Prior to his position at National [...]
BEST of the BROKERS April 1, 2012 GDF SUEZ UBS rates the energy group “buy” and has a 12-month price target of €23. The broker thinks GDF’s bid for the remainder of London-listed peer International Power has come earlier than expected, although the offer itself is hardly surprising. UBS reckons the offer price of 390p per share is likely to rise, and [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD April 1, 2012 AFTER the best first quarter in 14 years, the S&P 500 may be poised for a pullback as investors look to a slew of economic data for insight on the strength of the domestic economy. The Dow and the S&P 500 closed out their best first quarter since 1998 and the Nasdaq had its best [...]
It’s not all doom and gloom: Our mid-sized firms are flourishing April 1, 2012 THIS week, Investec is publishing our analysis of the UK’s 100 fastest-growing privately-owned mid-sized companies. They provide hope that the country continues to develop world-class businesses that, with proprietary technology and an appetite for international markets, will be global players of the future. For those who believe the UK no longer manufactures anything, or is [...]
The inspiring tale of Falklands vet’s business triumph April 1, 2012 MY DAD was in the RAF, and I wanted to be a pilot. But after a school medical found I was colour-blind, my hopes were shattered. My dad pushed me to become an accountant, and I eventually gave in and enrolled in an accountancy degree in Dundee. From the start, I knew I wasn’t going [...]
