Porsche sales in China jump by 63 per cent January 26, 2011 Porsche yesterday announced it has smashed its sales record in China, shifting almost 15,000 vehicles in 2010, an increase of 62.7 per cent on a year earlier. The German carmaker’s four-wheel-drive Cayenne model was the most popular, selling nearly 9,000 units. Sales of sports cars including the iconic 911 and the newer Boxster model rose [...]
Elbow injury forces Henin into second retirement January 26, 2011 FORMER world No1 Justine Henin has been forced to retire from tennis for a second time due to an ongoing elbow injury. Henin, who lost against Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round of the Australian Open last weekend, revealed that her elbow had been damaged during her exertions in Melbourne. “In these recent months [...]
European buyouts up 169pc January 26, 2011 THE VALUE of private equity backed buyouts in Europe rocketed 169 per cent to €63.1bn (£54.3bn) last year. The number of deals last year also saw a 43 per cent increase on the previous year to 367 deals, according to research commissioned by private equity house Candover. Overall, European private equity increased by a whopping [...]
Strauss: England can win this series January 26, 2011 ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss believes his side are capable of a miraculous comeback victory in their one-day series against Australia after finally getting off the mark at the fourth attempt in Adelaide. Inspired by a century from Jonathan Trott, who also picked up two wickets, England recorded a victory by 21 runs and now trail [...]
Pantsil’s present keeps Dalglish’s winning run going January 26, 2011 LIVERPOOL’S recovery under Kenny Dalglish gathered further momentum last night as John Pantsil’s own goal gifted the Reds a 1-0 win over Fulham at Anfield. The three points moved the Merseysiders up into seventh in the Premier League table, their highest position of the season, and victory secured back-to-back wins for the first time since [...]
A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE SUCCESS January 26, 2011 THERE’S little that cheers the soul better after a lingering recession than a roomful of entrepreneurs, and last night’s Quoted Company Awards were no exception, as banks and brokerages gathered to cheer on their new and growing clients. Companies in attendance ranged from a bevy of smart media startups, including nine-month-old Digital Theatre and acquisition-hungry [...]
WH Smith in margin boost January 26, 2011 WH SMITH said yesterday a drop in sales over Christmas had been offset by a rise in profit margins. Sales in the two months to 22 January dropped four per cent at the newspaper, stationery and book chain. Like-for-like sales, which strip out the effect of new store spaces, fell by seven per cent. The [...]
AG BARR SALES STILL FIZZING January 26, 2011 Soft drinks group AG Barr forecast like-for-like sales growth of around ten per cent for the full-year, helped by strong demand for its Irn-Bru and Rubicon drinks. The company, led by chief executive Roger White, said: “Across the financial year all of our core brands have performed strongly.”
Profits surge at Starbucks January 26, 2011 COFFEE giant Starbucks posted a 35 per cent rise in operating income yesterday, which nevertheless fell short of analyst forecasts for the full-year as the rising cost of coffee continued to dent margins. The world’s largest coffee chain has seen wholesale coffee prices increase by nearly three-quarters since last summer – due to poor weather, [...]
SEC gives US shareholders the right to vote on exec pay January 26, 2011 THE UNITED States has granted shareholders a say on executive pay as part of efforts to scrutinise corporate America in the wake of the financial crisis. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to require shareholders to make an advisory vote every three years on directors’ pay at companies with a public float [...]
