ANALYST VIEWS? CAN WH SMITH SUSTAIN ITS UPTURN October 14, 2010 RICHARD HUNTER | HARGREAVES LANSDOWN The positive triple whammy of stronger profits, an increased dividend and a continuation of the share buyback programme has been well received by investors. This may be enough to begin to turn around what has been a lacklustre share price performance of late. KATE CALVERT | SEYMOUR PIERCE Management is [...]
Payment terms that don’t pay October 14, 2010 SIR PHILIP GREEN, the government’s efficiency tsar, shocked the small business world earlier this week when he said that the government pays its suppliers too quickly. This outraged many small businesses that have been campaigning against the poor payment terms offered by big retailers in the private sector. Green argued that terms offered by the [...]
Q&A October 14, 2010 Q. Is forecasting essential to a business plan? A.While forecasting can be tricky, it is the core of your business plan. Many small businesses complain about being asked to predict the future. But as Bobby Lane of Denver Chase tells his clients: “Think about how that looks to the bank or investor, they need to [...]
Being eco-friendly can make you richer October 14, 2010 YOU may think that making your home eco-friendly is the kind of bore only liberal do-gooders relish. Think again. Jumping on the green bandwagon can add up to 5 per cent to the value of your property, make it more competitive on the housing market and help you save on energy bills. CityA.M. has taken [...]
Mothercare losses narrow October 14, 2010 Mothercare said its overseas sales have overtaken British figures for the first time. The company extended plans for new overseas store openings this year from 100 to 150, which would increase selling space by a fifth. That would push the total number of stores up to 1,270 in 54 countries. But while the international business [...]
Watchdog error over Nestle logo October 14, 2010 Nestle was wrongly allowed to use a government health logo on its website, the Department of Health admitted yesterday. The anti-obesity Change4Life logo should only have appeared alongside a healthy lifestyle message. Instead, it appeared on a website promoting snacks and cereals. The government said it would review the logo’s use and Nestle said it [...]
IHG hits £1bn mark in China October 14, 2010 InterContinental Hotels (IHG) said yesterday sales from China would beat $1bn (£626m) for the first time this year, as it prepares to double its hotel count in the fast-growing market. The emergence of a middle class in China who are keen on travel has led big hotel operators to pile into the market, with InterContinental, [...]
FOCUS ON: BRENTWOOD, ESSEX October 14, 2010 CREST BASE Price: From £183,000 This new development in the heart of Brentwood has both one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments for sale. The living area is open-plan and each flat also has a bathroom and a kitchen. Depending on the stage of construction, you can personalise various aspects of the internal finish. For commuters it is [...]
PROPERTY NEWS October 14, 2010 HARRODS ESTATES’ PROPERTY ACQUISITION SERVICE Luxury real estate division Harrods Estates has this week launched a bespoke property acquisition services which is intended to help clients who may be too busy or who want to maintain their privacy through the whole home buying process, from the initial search to contract exchange and completion. The service [...]
BUYING October 14, 2010 MANAGING PARTNER, BLACK BRICK Q.There has been lots of negativity surrounding house prices recently. Are prices in central London falling? A.There has been a recent wave of negative headlines surrounding UK houses prices recently. The unexpectedly large 3 per cent drop in the Halifax house price index in September has grabbed the bulk of the [...]
