Almost half of FTSE 100 firms now use Twitter February 7, 2011 ALMOST half of FTSE 100 companies now have a Twitter account, according to research by communications agency The Group. Of the UK’s elite companies, 45 per cent have a Twitter feed, up almost 50 per cent year-on-year. A further 25 per cent have a Facebook page, a rise of 20 per cent, and 39 per [...]
Rexam stock jumps on talk of £200m sale deal February 7, 2011 SHARES in Rexam soared yesterday after the British can maker confirmed plans to sell its beverage and specialties arm in a deal that could be worth £200m. The shares rose nearly five per cent in early trading, before closing the day up 3.4 per cent from Friday’s close at 368.9p. Rexam is believed to have [...]
Asia gives profit boost to Suzuki but competition in India freezes forecasts February 7, 2011 SUZUKI Motors, Japan’s No4 automaker, posted a 31 per cent rise in quarterly profit yesterday on brisk sales in Asia, and stuck to its conservative forecasts as competition intensifies in the key Indian market. Suzuki has enjoyed robust earnings growth compared with most domestic rivals thanks to its limited exposure to the stronger yen and [...]
Qinetiq secures early refinancing to aid growth during defence spending cuts February 7, 2011 DEFENCE technology group QinetiQ said yesterday it has completed the early refinancing of its £275m credit facility to help the firm advance amid looming cuts to government defence budgets and an ongoing restructuring. FTSE 250-listed QinetiQ has renewed the revolving facility, which was due to mature in August 2012, with a syndicate of banks made [...]
Norilsk told to shelve buyback February 7, 2011 NORILSK NICKEL, the world’s largest nickel and palladium producer, said yesterday that it had suspended a buyback offer for more than seven per cent of its shares following a court order. A St Christopher & Nevis court issued the order following a legal complaint by Rusal. Norilsk Nickel’s Corbiere unit, which made the $252 (£156) [...]
Industrial unrest leaves Aer Lingus paying cost February 7, 2011 IRISH airline Aer Lingus carried about a fifth fewer passengers in January than a year ago on the back of route cuts and a dispute with cabin crew over longer working hours. Aer Lingus said yesterday 552,000 passengers were booked to fly with it in January, a 17 per cent decrease on last year, and [...]
SolarWorld expects sales rise February 7, 2011 SolarWorld, Germany’s second-biggest solar company by market value, expects sales to rise this year as it looks outside its shrinking home market, particularly to the US. “In the current environment, giving a sales outlook is tough,” SolarWorld chief executive Frank Asbeck said yesterday, pointing to an expected drop in prices for modules and cells, the [...]
Europe boost for lock maker February 7, 2011 Swedish Assa Abloy, the world’s biggest lock maker, expects some growth in its main European market this year as construction expands in Germany and other strong economies. Posting 15 per cent growth in fourth-quarter core earnings, in line with expectations, the company said growth in some areas would offset the impact of government austerity measures [...]
Uralkali-Slivnit merger approved February 7, 2011 Russian potash miner Uralkali said yesterday that Silvinit shareholders had voted to approve their merger, which will create the world’s second largest producer of the soil nutrient. Uralkali said 90.9 per cent of the votes cast at a meeting on Friday supported the merger.
AL GORE LAUNCHES FUND FOR ASIA STOCKS February 7, 2011 AL GORE’S Generation Investment Management is starting a $500m (£310m) fund to invest in Asian stocks. Generation is looking to invest in countries including China and India to correspond with Asia’s demands for natural resources and its impact on the global economy
