Quindell Portfolio hires directors amid push to join the FTSE 250 September 30, 2013 OUTSOURCING firm Quindell Portfolio yesterday appointed two independent directors as part of a board re-jig ahead of its planned move to the main London Stock Exchange. The fast-growing Aim-listed company attracted attention earlier this year after it announced an astonishing 915 per cent rise in annual profits – only to see its share price halve [...]
HomeServe steers steady path with figures unchanged in year September 30, 2013 HOMESERVE said yesterday its earnings for the first half of 2014 are likely to remain much the same as last year, with trading weighted towards the second half of the financial year. In a trading update for the six months ending yesterday, the home emergency business said its outlook for the full year remained unchanged, [...]
Internet provider Kcom admits to debt rise in first half results September 30, 2013 COMMUNICATIONS and IT services provider Kcom Group yesterday said that it has performed in line with expectations ahead of its interim results due on 26 November. The Yorkshire-based company said that its net debt has increased since 31 March (reported at £88.2m), but that it expects to reduce its debt in the second half of [...]
Analyst Views: What do you make of the changes announced yesterday? September 30, 2013 ANDREW WATSON N+1 SINGERIt’s an encouraging sign they’ve appointed a new chief executive. The rights issue will help reduce the debt position but a more challenging trading environment will continue to provide headwinds. We expect strategy to focus on costs to maximise profits from the current store estate. OWEN JONES SHORE CAPITALWe wish Chris Gillespie [...]
Fastjet to take off to South Africa September 30, 2013 Fastjet said yesterday it is set to launch its first international flights outside of Tanzania in the coming months. The African budget airline said its first route to Johannesburg is now on-sale, with flights to Zambia and Malawi due to launch soon. The group saw operating losses widen to $39m (£24m) in the first half [...]
AstraZeneca drug clears hurdle September 30, 2013 AstraZeneca said yesterday that it had moved one step closer to being able to market a new drug to help ovarian cancer patients. The FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals giant said that the European Medicines Agency had accepted its Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for olaparib. A spokesperson for the firm said it hopes to hear whether it [...]
Keller wins Singapore contract September 30, 2013 FTSE 250-listed engineering firm Keller Group yesterday said it has won a £33m contract for construction work relating to a hospital in Singapore. The Singapore government-funded project will create a new hospital that will cater for over 700,000 residents in the region. Work is expected to start next month and be completed in the third [...]
City Moves for 1 October 2013 | Who’s switching jobs September 30, 2013 Aon Hewitt The human resources solutions company has appointed Stuart McKinnon as a principal consultant in its global investment consulting practice. McKinnon has over 17 years’ investment management experience, and joins from Lane Clark & Peacock. City Financial The fund management firm has made two hires. Peter Toogood joins from Morningstar, where he was investment services [...]
Lowest inflation since 2010 for euro economies September 30, 2013 BELOW target inflation is still being recorded in the Eurozone despite a nascent recovery, with the lowest consumer price index (CPI) growth in three and a half years revealed. Figures released yesterday showed CPI at only 1.1 per cent in the 12 months to September, indicating the smallest rise in prices since the first quarter [...]
Slow growth for China as factory sector edges up in September September 30, 2013 CHINA’S manufacturing industry saw a narrow expansion in September, roughly equal to August’s growth, according to purchasing managers’ index (PMI) figures released by HSBC yesterday. The figure has been revised down from 51.2, which was HSBC’s first estimate, but still sits marginally above 50, which indicates some meagre growth in the sector. The measure indicates [...]
