Big Ben to ring in Olympics for record attempt July 25, 2012 PLANNING to bask in the evening sunshine with a few post-work drinks tonight? You might want to think twice before turning it into a serious session as the hungover will be in for the mother of all rude awakenings tomorrow morning. To mark the official start of the London 2012 Olympics Big Ben wil ring [...]
Visa boosted by increase in card spending July 25, 2012 CREDIT and debit card network Visa last night announced strong income growth as increasing numbers of people across the globe pay for goods using plastic. Adjusted net income rose 10 per cent to $1.1bn (£700m) for the third quarter, ahead of Wall Street expectations. Shares in the firm were up 1.5 per cent in after-hours trading. But [...]
Marston’s says Jubilee cheer helped offset rain as sales rise July 25, 2012 MARSTON’S raised a glass to a successful Diamond Jubilee weekend as the pub and brewing company posted a 2.2 per cent rise in third-quarter sales at its managed pubs. The group, which has around 2,150 managed, tenanted and franchised pubs, described its performance in recent weeks as “satisfactory” in spite of the wet weather dampening [...]
Brit Land buys Mayfair estate July 25, 2012 BRITISH LAND revealed yesterday it has acquired the Clarges Estate on Piccadilly for £130m from the low profile Latvian Sebba family. The group plans to develop the entire site opposite the Ritz and Green Park in Mayfair, into a 200,000 square feet scheme with shops, offices and luxury flats. The whole site will be worth [...]
Demand soars for Renishaw July 25, 2012 SHARES in British engineering company Renishaw soared 16 per cent yesterday as the firm reported a five per cent rise in full-year profit, helped by strong demand for its precision measuring products across its markets. Renishaw, which makes measuring and inspection equipment for the metrology and healthcare industries, reported revenue of £103.1m for the fourth [...]
CATERPILLAR RAISES PROFIT FORECASTS July 25, 2012 CATERPILLAR, the world’s largest maker of construction equipment, raised its 2012 profit forecast yesterday and said the global economy was slowly improving amid pockets of weakness. For the second quarter, Caterpillar reported a profit of $1.67bn, or $2.54 per share, compared with $1.02bn, or $1.52 per share, a year earlier.
Heathrow is ready for record Olympics traffic July 25, 2012 AIRPORT owner BAA said it was ready for record-breaking traffic at Heathrow expected today, while boss Colin Matthews trumpeted the firm’s investment in the hub as vital for the British economy. BAA spent close to £550m in improving Heathrow in the first half of the year – and the firm plans to spend a further [...]
Government slams the brakes on Peugeot’s drive for change July 25, 2012 THE creation of 1,100 new jobs in the West Midlands by Jaguar Land Rover shows the British car industry continuing to accelerate. It’s also another reminder of just how far JLR has come from the dark days of 2009, when it instituted a four-day week to avoid job cuts and looked to the European Investment [...]
Sun-seeking British passengers put a shine on EasyJet earnings July 25, 2012 EASYJET has raised its profit forecast for the year after seeing a rise in British tourists taking European holidays and a drop in fuel costs. Revenues in the quarter to the end of June rose 10.5 per cent to £1.03bn, and EasyJet now predicts full year pre-tax profit will rise to between £280m and £300m, [...]
Peugeot defends plans for cuts after slumping to first-half loss July 25, 2012 PEUGEOT yesterday promised to press ahead with cost savings, as it registered a huge loss for the first half of the year. An overall loss of €819m (£641.8m) was driven by a €662m loss in the French giant’s car making division, itself driven by sales that fell 5.1 per cent to €29.55bn. Chief executive Philippe [...]
