ANALYST VIEWS: IS THE SHINE COMING OFF THE IPO FIRM’S SUCCESS STORY December 15, 2010 PHILIP DORGAN | ALTIUM SECURITIES Given the premium rating and no upgrades, coupled with the gross margin comment, the shares may struggle to make progress. NICK BUBB | ARDEN The statement reads very well, with Christmas going well. SuperGroup looks to be ahead of expectations in sales for womenswear for 2011 to 2012. MATTHEW MCEACHRAN [...]
Don’t plan on making any knee-jerk moves in January December 15, 2010 A RECENT survey by Morgan McKinley found that the number of City job vacancies was up year-on-year for the 12th consecutive month, 9 per cent in November. Traditionally, the first quarter sees a flurry of hiring, following the clear-outs that accompany the bonus season. So will we see this in 2011? With all the kerfuffle [...]
H&M SALES UP IN NOVEMBER December 15, 2010 SWEDISH fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) said yesterday that sales at its established stores rose eight per cent in November from a year earlier. The retailer said total sales, which include newly opened stores, were up 17 per cent in the month. November is the final month of the company’s financial year and it [...]
City chairman says the politics of envy is causing an exodus of talent December 15, 2010 Stuart Fraser’s office at the City of London Corporation features an interesting contrast. Along one wall is a series of large photographic prints of the London skyline, including a shot of the stunning white Guildhall Yard, next to which we are sitting. The opposite wall contains a small shrine to Asia: a scale model of [...]
Show your love with a good book December 15, 2010 OK, Christmas is closing in. Chances are you’ve done the bulk of your shopping, or at least you know what you’re getting for your friends and family. But there may still be some holes to be filled, and if there are, there’s no better way to fill them than with a well-chosen book. Books as gifts [...]
Novartis pays £8bn for rest of US’ Alcon December 15, 2010 NOVARTIS has wrapped up its long-awaited buyout of the remainder of US-listed Alcon for $12.9bn (£8.25bn), after sweetening its original offer with cash. The Swiss drugmaker is hoping the deal with its rival, worth some $52bn in total, will help it diversify and protect it against patent loss on big selling medicines such as blood [...]
Hochtief pursues Spanish target ACS with sweeter offer December 15, 2010 SPAIN’S ACS turned up the heat on bid target Hochtief yesterday by sweetening an all-share offer to value its German construction rival at around €4.9bn (£4.18bn). The Spanish group, which has been stalking Hochtief since September, said it had improved its bid to nine ACS shares for every five Hochtief shares from its previous eight-for-five [...]
CITY VIEWS: DOES THE GOVERNMENT APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTION THE CITY MAKES TO THE ECONOMY? December 15, 2010 GETHIN JONES | RSA “I think the government doesn’t appreciate the City, really, and neither do most of the voting UK public. I just don’t think the public realises how much tax revenue the City generates, or how much of the public those revenues help.” GIANCOMO GHILLO | BDB “It may do because taxes in [...]
OUT OF OFFICE December 15, 2010 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST In a terrific season for family shows, Katie Mitchell’s Beauty and the Beast, in the National’s cosy Cottesloe Theatre, is one of the standouts. Shadow puppets, eerie costumes, mysterious sound effects and Lucy Kirkwood’s lyrical writing create a magical world of faries and wonder – and look out for a a bizarre [...]
Festive drams December 15, 2010 A FINE bottle of Scotch whisky makes a terrific Christmas present for anyone who appreciates a dram of the good stuff. But finding the best bottlings isn’t easy, and there are thousands to choose from. So we asked Neil Ridley, whiskey expert and the brains behind the CaskStrength.net blog, to select the whiskies that he’d [...]
