Blacks boosted by reduced loss October 28, 2010 BLACKS Leisure’s losses are narrowing as it seeks to attract suitors for the business. The retailer, which owns the Blacks and Millets brands, said the business was bouncing back after a tumultuous period. Like-for-like sales in its outdoor stores were down by six per cent, which it blamed on difficult trading conditions. But in the [...]
Premier Foods sales suffer slide October 28, 2010 BRITAIN’S largest food producer Premier Foods warned yesterday its results would be squeezed by increasingly tough trading conditions as consumers shy away from supermarket own-label goods, sending its shares four per cent down to close at 18p. The maker of Branston Pickle and Bisto gravy said group sales fell 4.2 per cent in the three [...]
A world of fine watches October 28, 2010 SHELLING out a few thousand quid – even a few hundred – on a watch is not an activity to be entered into lightly. After all, any piece of high-quality wristwear you sport will become your style signifier, so it’s worth spying out the market and seeing what’s out there, where the trends are and [...]
A HERO’S FAREWELL October 28, 2010 FORMER England captain Phil Vickery yesterday reluctantly accepted defeat in his long battle with neck and back injuries, admitting: “enough is enough”. The World Cup winner brought down the curtain on a distinguished career after being advised his body had taken enough punishment in 15 years as a professional. Wasps skipper Vickery, 34, came back [...]
Bid frenzy for WestLB as the deadline nears October 28, 2010 AILING German state-controlled lender WestLB, which has been put up for sale, has attracted the interest of several potential buyers, two people familiar with the bank said yesterday. Non-binding indications of interest have been handed to bankers at Morgan Stanley who have been commissioned to manage any sale. WestLB, which is partially owned by the [...]
Coca-Cola Enterprises is boosted by strong sales October 28, 2010 COCA-COLA Enterprises posted higher-than-expected quarterly earnings and gave an encouraging full-year forecast yesterday. The soft drink bottler, which earlier this month became a company that operates solely in Europe, said it expects 2010 earnings of $1.74 to $1.78 per share. Analysts’ average estimate was $1.75 per share, according to Thomson Reuters. The results did not [...]
We’re coming to get you, Strauss warns Australians October 28, 2010 ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss insists his men have an “excellent” chance of beating Australia in their own back yard. It has been over 20 years since England won the Ashes on enemy turf yet Strauss’ side jet off today brimming with confidence. Strauss, skipper as England retained the urn last year, led his side to [...]
Walmart set to scale back offer for Massmart October 28, 2010 WAL-MART, the world’s biggest retailer, may scale back its $4bn bid for Massmart by nearly half, a move that could keep the South African firm listed in Johannesburg. Wal-Mart is now considering taking more than a 50 per cent stake, rather than a full buyout, Massmart said in a statement yesterday. The offer price was [...]
THE CUTENESS OF CARDIGANS October 28, 2010 I RECENTLY bought a very cute cashmere cardigan from Zara for £60 in a rather elegant mushroom grey. Having got it home, just this one item is the lynchpin to another dozen outfits in my wardrobe – so much so that I’m going to be rationing the number of times I wear it. This particular [...]
ICBC earnings grow as bank buys insurer October 28, 2010 Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world’s most valuable lender, joined rivals in posting robust earnings on strong loans growth, giving a boost to its planned multi-billion dollar fundraising. The Beijing-based lender also said it will pay $180m (£112.8m) to buy control of French insurer AXA’s Chinese joint venture, expanding into the country’s [...]
