SMEs call for more state contracts May 1, 2012 ■ Small businesses are still struggling to win public sector contracts despite the government’s efforts to make it easier, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said yesterday. Its survey showed 40 per cent of firms want the tendering process to be simplified, while 41 per cent of firms who bid for contracts failed to secure [...]
House bills put pressure on pay May 1, 2012 ■ Gas bills have trebled and electricity doubled in the last decade, Santander research revealed today. Overall bills have risen by 71 per cent, or twice the pace of inflation – far outstripping wage growth at 24 per cent, and leading 29 per cent of Britons to complain the costs have reduced their overall standard [...]
Cape revenues lift as UK sales pick up pace May 1, 2012 INDUSTRIAL services provider Cape said yesterday its quarterly revenue has jumped 16 per cent, helped by double-digit sales growth at home and abroad. The FTSE 250 company, which provides services to plant operators in the energy and mining sectors, said it was well positioned for the rest of the year as its order book was [...]
Perform is driving ahead with with revenues jumping by 45pc May 1, 2012 SPORTS rights company Perform said it expected strong profit growth this year after reporting first quarter revenues that rose 45 per cent. “We are very pleased with the momentum in the core business and are looking forward to posting another year of strong revenue and Ebitda growth,” joint chief executive Oliver Slipper said. The company, [...]
Rolls-Royce wins $315m contract May 1, 2012 ● Rolls-Royce yesterday announced that it had won a $315m (£194m) contract from aircraft engine maker Pratt & Whitney to supply equipment that allows military aircraft to shorten their take-offs and landings. Rolls is the only company to produce the LiftSystem technology.
Etihad buys Aer Lingus stake May 1, 2012 ● Etihad Airways has bought a three per cent stake in Irish airline Aer Lingus as a precursor to a commercial tie-up that could help Abu Dhabi’s flagship carrier gain more European routes to catch up with Middle Eastern rivals. The deal also positions state-owned Etihad as a potential buyer of the indebted Irish government’s [...]
Anglo-Lafarge must sell assets May 1, 2012 ● Miner Anglo American and cement maker Lafarge must sell major assets to win clearance for a tie-up of their building materials businesses. The Competition Commission said the companies had to sell an “extensive package of operations”. Both firms said they were confident conditions would be met, prompting speculation that they might have buyers lined [...]
CSR restructuring hurts profits May 1, 2012 ● British chipmaker CSR posted a 38 per cent rise in first-quarter revenue yesterday, boosted by demand for silicon used in headphones and cars, but saw its statutory losses widen to $14m due to restructuring costs. The firm saw underlying operating profit rise to $2.7m (£1.67m) on revenue of $227m.
US corporate results round-up May 1, 2012 Avon’s profit sinks as reps fall AVON reported a two per cent drop in quarterly sales yesterday after seeing the number of active sales representatives fall and the company dealt with higher costs. Avon, the world’s largest direct seller of cosmetics, also said net income fell 81.5 per cent in the first quarter, hurt by [...]
Striking the right balance between value and quality is what keeps Premier on top May 1, 2012 THE weather that we are experiencing may not suggest it, but we are now well into the season when people start thinking in earnest about their summer holidays. So, I’ve taken a look at how major hotel chains have fared recently on YouGov’s BrandIndex. The leader on the Index score (a composite of six key [...]
