Mobile craze boosts Wolfson February 6, 2013 EDINBURGH microchip maker Wolfson Microelectronics reported a 52 per cent jump in revenues yesterday following rising sales of smartphones such as Samsung’s Galaxy SIII. The company, which makes audio chips for processing voice input and audio output on phones and other electronic devices, said revenues rose to $56.1m (£35.8m) in the final quarter of last [...]
Homeserve on track as FSA probe continues February 6, 2013 HOMESERVE, the FTSE 250 home repair and insurance company, yesterday said full-year pre-tax profits are likely to be in line with expectations as it continues to scale down its UK business following allegations of mis-selling. The group said UK customer numbers would hit 2.25m for the full financial year ending 31 March – at the [...]
Sports Direct hires Espirito as broker February 6, 2013 SPORTS DIRECT has hired the Portuguese investment bank Espirito Santo as its corporate broker after ending its six-year relationship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) earlier this month. The sportswear retailer, controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said it had appointed Espirito with immediate effect, becoming joint broker alongside Oriel Securities. Ashley and [...]
Retail job vacancies fall 25 per cent in 2012 February 6, 2013 THE NUMBER of jobs available in the retail sector slumped by a quarter in the second half of last year according to research published yesterday by RetailChoice.com, the specialist retail recruitment website. The company, which sampled 30,000 jobs advertised through its website between July and December last year, said while total vacancies declined, the growing [...]
Lendlease gets okay for Heygate revamp February 6, 2013 AUSTRALIAN developer Lendlease was yesterday granted detailed planning permission by Southwark council for the first phase of its £1.5bn regeneration of the Heygate estate in Elephant & Castle after winning approval for the masterplan last month. The scheme has caused an outcry from critics after it emerged on Tuesday that Heygate was sold to Lendlease [...]
The Stig guest of honour at military dinner February 6, 2013 TO the Royal Automobile Club’s country campus on Monday evening, for the launch dinner announcing the 2013 Square Mile Salute banquet. The Capitalist can reveal that the third annual Square Mile Salute feast will be held at the Guildhall on 18 October, with food prepared by chef Albert Roux, co-founder of the Le Gavroche, and [...]
Volvo stalls as demand slump reduces output February 6, 2013 TRUCK maker Volvo yesterday warned of a rough start to 2013 after weak demand in its main markets left its factories running at half speed and pushed it into a much heavier than expected earnings fall in the fourth quarter. Sweden’s Volvo, which only weeks ago laid claim to having dethroned German Daimler as the [...]
Aer Lingus insists it can fend off Ryanair bid as its earnings soar February 6, 2013 IRISH flag carrier Aer Lingus yesterday insisted it could survive as an independent company and said the hostile takeover bid from rival Ryanair was unlikely to make it past European competition authorities. “It seems to me so farfetched, this proposition, that we don’t bother wasting our time on it,” Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller [...]
Fastjet flies into dispute over brand licencing in Tanzania February 6, 2013 FASTJET, the African budget airline backed by EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has flown into turbulence over its use of the Fly540 name. Five Forty Aviation, which owns the brand, yesterday withdrew Fastjet’s licences to use the name in Angola, Ghana and Tanzania, claiming Fastjet owes $7.7m (£4.9m) in charges. Five Forty Aviation also said that [...]
Grainger posts rise in group sales February 6, 2013 Grainger said institutional investor interest in the residential market was growing thanks to government measures such as the launch of the £200m Build to Rent fund, as it posted group sales of £64.6m for the first four months of the year, up £2.2m on last year. The listed residential landlord said fee income rose to [...]
