By: Imran Khan

I am interested in all good stories so please get in touch with me if you have one. I have a broad brief but have a particular penchant for company results, and news from investments banks, wealth and asset managers.

Polymetal on a spending spree as it ramps up capital expenditure

FTSE 250 metal mining company Polymetal has boosted its revenues by 10 per cent but it has also ramped up spending at the same time, the company has said in its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2016 The figures Polymetal said capital expenditure has risen by 32 per cent to $271m (£220.54m) [...]
Profits soar at landscape gardening specialist Marshalls

Landscaping group Marshalls’ share price jumped up by as much as six per cent in early trading as the builders’ merchants and garden centre supplier reported bumper profits in its 2016 full-year results. The figures Profits before tax rose by 31 per cent to £46m from £35.3m last year on flat revenues of £396.9m, up [...]
Oxford University on a high as Star Trek star backs medicinal cannabis research

Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart has publicly endorsed cannabis research at Oxford University, after admitting to using the drug for medicinal reasons in America. Stewart has backed the UK’s first ever research project launched by Oxford University today which aims to explore the benefits of cannabinoid-based medicines for sufferers of arthritis like himself. Stewart [...]

Marks and Spencer has shut down its Beijing branch as it heads out of China

March 14, 2017

Marks and Spencer has pulled out of China, closing its prestigious Beijing branch earlier this month, the company confirmed. The retailer said it also closed two stores in February in the country and three more in January. Three remaining stores in Shanghai are scheduled to close by 1 April. Adam Colton, Marks & Spencer managing [...]
Another year of profit losses for French Connection

March 14, 2017

High street fashion shop, French Connection, has reported yet another year of losses. The figures French Connection said revenues for 2016 were £153.2m, down six per cent, compared to last year’s £164.2m. The company declared an underlying operating loss of £3.7m this year, compared to £4.7m last year. It has less cash this year and [...]
UK motor industry shifts down a gear as inflationary sentiments creep in

March 14, 2017

Britons are expected to put the brakes on their spending for new cars in 2017 as inflation bites, new data by consumer research company GfK finds. In research out today, it forecasts that car sales will slide by 5 per cent this year, following last year’s record. Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK, [...]
Computacenter promises jam tomorrow as UK was “disappointing” this year

March 13, 2017

IT infrastructure company Computacenter today said its UK performance for 2016 was disappointing but says next year will be “a year of progress overall” for the group. The figures Adjusted profit before tax fell by £0.5m to £86.4m, as adjusted revenues rose to £3.2bn from £3bn in 2015. The company declared a dividend of 22.2p per share, [...]
Clarkson hits choppy waters but sees plain sailing ahead

March 13, 2017

Shipping broker Clarkson told investors in its preliminary results today that the outlook for profits in the medium term is good. The company said there “are now a number of indicators of improvement in the industry via measurable, if as yet relatively modest, demand growth and a slowing in the new capacity reaching the market.” [...]
British book worms are spending more on reading this year, sending sales up £100m

March 13, 2017

Britons are reading more than last year and increased spending by six per cent on books by as much as £100m more compared to 2016, according to research from Nielsen Book Research UK. Printed book sales were up seven per cent, driven by greater reading amongst younger generations, despite commonly held assumptions that young people [...]
Bitcoin’s back over $1,200 despite the Winklevoss twins’ ETF disappointment

March 13, 2017

Bitcoin surged upwards overnight after it took a dive at the end of last week when the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) denied approval for Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss to list a bitcoin only exchange-traded fund (ETF). The twins' hopes were dashed on Friday after the US regulator said it wasn't happy with the fact the [...]

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