JustInvesting appoints Bob Wigley as chair February 2, 2014 FORMER Merrill Lynch chairman of EMEA operations Bob Wigley has been appointed as chairman of online investment platform JustInvesting. JustInvesting was founded in 2012 to allow angel investors, wealth managers, institutional investors and government organisations a way to access and invest in early-stage private companies. “Enabling investors to deploy capital into the large number of [...]
Cenkos battles FinnCap to take advisers’ crown February 2, 2014 BROKER Cenkos Securities became the top nominated adviser to junior stock market listed companies last quarter, dislodging the previous number one FinnCap. The company, which is based in Lothbury in the City, added four new businesses to its list of customers between mid-October and mid-January, taking the total to 84. This topped FinnCap, which stayed [...]
Brit Insurance eyes stock market return as new chair takes helm February 2, 2014 BRIT Insurance, the outgoing sponsor of the England cricket team, is understood to be lining up advisers to run the rule over the business ahead of a potential stock market return this year. The firm, based in the Netherlands but with a huge presence in the Lloyd’s of London market, could be valued at over [...]
Brighter outlook for companies as restructuring predicted to fall February 2, 2014 MORE than three quarters of lenders believe company restructurings will fall or level off this year, as the difficult environment for struggling companies starts to ease, a fresh poll out today says. The figures from Deloitte shows 52 per cent of lenders think the number of restructurings will fall over 2014 while 24 per cent [...]
Investcorp on top after spate of dealmaking February 2, 2014 INVESTCORP, the company that bought gourmet snack Tyrrells Crisps last year, yesterday reported a big rise in profits after Gulf investors put more money into its funds. The Bahrain-based businesses, which once owned Gucci, reported a 53 per cent rise in profits for the six months ending December to $60.1m (£36.5m) versus the first half [...]
Canaccord fired up to sell Denby February 2, 2014 HMV-owner Hilco Capital has appointed Canaccord Genuity to explore the sale of 200-year old British pottery maker Denby after receiving “a number” of approaches from trade buyers. Denby, based in Derbyshire, said sales rose 10 per cent last year. Hilco boss Paul McGowan said Canaccord would now run a formal sale process.
Waterstones’ new owner cuts full-year losses February 2, 2014 HIGH street bookseller Waterstones has narrowed its losses by more than a third in its first financial year since being snapped up by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut. Accounts filed last week on Companies House show that pre-tax losses fell to £23m in the year to 27 April from £37.3m the previous year. This includes £5.4m [...]
Bottom Line: Bookbuyers need time – and tea February 2, 2014 WHAT is a bookshop for? Waterstones boss James Daunt is staunching the bleeding, as shown by the slowing rate of losses in the latest results. But to cure the patient, he needs an answer to that question. It’s harder than it seems. With Amazon winning on volume and price, chains like Waterstones need to find [...]
Apple facing $840m fine for ebook pricing February 2, 2014 APPLE faces a fine of up to $840m (£511m) from US state and consumer antitrust claims after last summer’s lawsuit, in which the tech giant was found to be guilty of conspiring with publishing companies to increase the price of ebooks. The class action lawsuit, comprised of customers from 33 states and led by attorney [...]
Optimism still rising for firms as 2014 begins February 2, 2014 UK COMPANIES are at their most confident in nearly a decade, with the strongest investment intentions since the downturn began. More firms than ever are expressing positive sentiment about the economy, according to the latest business confidence monitor from Grant Thornton and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Between late October [...]
