BEST OF THE BROKERS September 24, 2009 HALFORDS GROUPAhead of Halfords’ second-quarter trading update on 8 October, Investec upgraded its forecasts and its target price to 435p, from 400p. The broker believes a combination of better weather and more “staycations” than last year will deliver a more robust performance than previously expected, and says “buy”. WM MORRISONJefferies International upped its target price [...]
Ryanair says rival needs a big shake up September 24, 2009 BUDGET carrier Ryanair is willing to “invest more money” into Aer Lingus, but is unlikely to make a third bid for its rival, chief executive Michael O’Leary said yesterday. The flamboyant boss, whose company is a 29 per cent shareholder in Aer Lingus, said the Irish airline will need major reorganisation. “They will come to [...]
The time is ripe to take the plunge into the Cotswolds September 24, 2009 FOLLOWING a tough year when the market has been in the doldrums, the Cotswolds – the perennial favourite area for City workers’ second homes – are back in the swing of things. The problem for those who yearn to own a property in those picturesque old wool villages is that they just don’t often come [...]
FOCUS ON: WOOLWICH, SE18 September 24, 2009 Building 47, Marlborough Road, SE18Price: £350,000This smart duplex apartment with views across the river is within walking distance of Woolwich Arsenal DLR station. Part of a warehouse conversion, this two double bedroom apartment comes with a spacious open-plan living area with wooden floors and exposed brick walls. The property also comes with a secure parking [...]
Live in a little bit of British history September 24, 2009 ENGLISH Heritage recently expressed shocked dismay at the large numbers of Britain’s 9,300 conservation areas that are sliding into disrepair, and started a campaign to preserve these symbols of British history. English Heritage was more concerned about beauty, but these areas also make a great investment. A recent bulletin from estate agent Savills said that [...]
Suiting gets serious in the City as retro styles return September 24, 2009 PINK shorts, fox-fur capes and metallic trousers might be what passes for menswear at London Fashion Week, but in the real world things are very different. In the City at the moment, the fashion watchword is simple: smart. “That casual thing is completely finished in the City,” says Johnny Allen, the manager of Savile Row [...]
A savage satire of corporate crime September 24, 2009 TheatreENRONRoyal Court TheatrePOST credit crunch, the Enron collapse might seem like a disaster from another age. But in Lucy Prebble’s scintillating play the scandal is shown as the blueprint for the meltdowns that came after it. “There’s a strange thing goes on inside a bubble,” says one character. “People inside it can’t see outside, don’t [...]
CONSERVATION AREAS NEAR THE CITY September 23, 2009 GRAFF HOUSE, RICHMONDGraff House sits within the trust grounds of St Margarets, a mile away from Richmond town centre. St Margarets trust grounds are made up of three secure private gardens making up 12 acres, which naturally lend themselves to family picnics, tennis tournaments and sports days. The Thames, Kew Gardens and the Richmond Deer [...]
WILL YELL’S REFINANCING PROPOSALS BE ENOUGH TO SECURE ITS FUTURE? September 23, 2009 ALEX DEGROOTE PANMURE GORDONBased on what was said today, the plans seem fairly well-advanced. I think it is a step in the right direction, but it has been well-trailed and the news has already been priced into the shares, which have been hit today by the underwhelming trading outlook given by the firm. ANDY VINER [...]
Business activity picking up across the eurozone September 23, 2009 PRIVATE sector output in the eurozone increased for the second consecutive month in September, as the services sector returned to positive territory, according to data released yesterday. Markit’s purchase managers index (PMI) for the eurozone rose to a 16-month high of 50.8 in the period, up from 50.4 in August, though this was a smaller [...]
