Returning Rooney ends Rangers hopes November 24, 2010 RANGERS(0) vs MANCHESTER UTD(1) STRIKER Wayne Rooney celebrated his return to the Manchester United starting line-up by converting the late penalty which ended Rangers’ hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League. United now need just a point at home to Valencia in a fortnight’s time to ensure top spot in Group C, while [...]
United in plea to watchdog November 24, 2010 THE outgoing boss of United Utilities yesterday backed an investor’s plea to the water industry regulator to keep shareholders sweet as it posted lower profits, but voiced confidence on its outlook. Philip Green, who is leaving in March, supported Invesco Perpetual fund manager Neil Woodford after he said regulation may cause inadequate investor returns. Woodford, [...]
Catalyst demand and price hikes lift Johnson Matthey November 24, 2010 GROWING demand for vehicle catalysts and higher metal prices yesterday helped speciality chemical group Johnson Matthey to boost profits by nearly half, beating forecasts. The platinum refiner and world’s largest supplier of catalytic converters posted underlying pre-tax profit of £164.3m in the six months to 30 September, compared to £114.4m the previous year, against an [...]
Emirates maintenance agreement boosts Rolls after plane accident November 24, 2010 ROLLS-ROYCE got another boost yesterday – a deal worth $1.2bn (£760m) with Middle Eastern airline Emirates to maintain engines on 50 Airbus and Boeing jets. Rolls, which faced an engine fire on a Qantas Airbus A380 superjumbo on 4 November, will service Trent 700 engines on 29 Airbus A330 jets and Trent 800 turbines on [...]
CSC closes in on Trafford Centre mall November 24, 2010 CAPITAL Shopping Centres (CSC) confirmed yesterday it was close to buying the Trafford Centre in Manchester for a total of £1.6bn. The retail property group said it was in advanced talks with current owner Peel Holdings, which has held the shopping centre since it was built in 1998 at a cost of £600m. CSC plans [...]
Lord Sugar bids Auf Wiedersehen once again November 24, 2010 SQUEALS of excitement this week as the candidates were instructed to pack a bag for a foreign trip. While everyone’s thoughts turned to beaches and suntans, Stuart wondered if they’d be sent to a warzone. While unleashing Stuart Baggs on Afghanistan is an appealing thought, I’m pretty sure the UN would class it as a [...]
Compass ups dividend after profits jump November 24, 2010 CATERING group Compass yesterday reported strong full-year results with pre-tax profits up 18 per cent to £922m, beating consensus analyst forecasts of £904.5m. Compass, which provides meals for UK schools, hospitals, hotels and the armed forces, saw net profits rise 15 per cent to £675m from £586m last year, also beating analysts’ expectations. Revenues rose [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF COMPASS’ RESULTS ? November 24, 2010 KEVIN LAPWOOD | SEYMOUR PIERCE These results from Compass were comfortably above our expectations, although the increase in total dividend was a big surprise. The outlook is positive. NIGEL PARSON | EVOLUTION SECURITIES The combination of strong cashflow and low debt has given Compass the firepower to accelerate earnings and increase the dividend. JULIAN CATER [...]
Liontrust posts loss but boosts client inflows November 24, 2010 ASSET-management firm Liontrust reported a pre-tax loss of £1.6m in the six months to 30 September according to an earnings report released yesterday. Despite the loss, the firm saw its first net investment inflows in six years. Investors moved £90m into Liontrust products last quarter, and have already invested £76m since October. Total assets under [...]
England have rediscovered love for game November 24, 2010 FORMER Wasps and England back Josh Lewsey believes the national team has blossomed during the last year because players have fallen in love with the game once again. Martin Johnson’s men have followed up an encouraging summer with more success this autumn, including wins over Samoa and old enemies Australia, and a hard-fought defeat to [...]
