THE LONDON REPORT September 22, 2009 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday as miners and oil stocks buoyed by firmer commodity prices lent support, though with investors nervous before the group of 20 leaders’ meeting at the end of the week. The FTSE 100 closed 8.24 points, or 0.2 per cent, higher at 5,142.60, after ending Monday’s session 0.7 per [...]
HOW WELL IS JD SPORTS PERFORMING IN WHAT CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT FOR RETAILERS? September 22, 2009 KEITH BOWMAN HARGREAVES LANSDOWN The figures are at the higher end of expectations and the dividend hike is encouraging, though recent sales are a little disappointing. But JD Sports seems to have avoided the worst of the retail shakeout due to its young customer base, so it will be given the benefit of the doubt [...]
Profits jump at JD Sports on sales rise September 22, 2009 JD Sports yesterday shrugged off the gloom, reporting an 11 per cent rise in profits, despite the consumer downturn battering the high street. The group said profits rose to £10.1m in the six months to 1 August, boosted by a jump in sales. JD Sports said that group total sales were up by 8.4 per [...]
CITY VIEWS: Is ba’s pledge to cut the aviation industry’s carbon emissions enough? or should we just fly less? September 22, 2009 IAN SEAKENS LLOYD’S OF LONDON“The aviation industry is doing the very least it can possibly get away with to combat carbon emissions. It’s a tough time for airlines, margins are squeezed, and this is the last thing companies want to be spending out on.” DON OKOLIE ZURICH FINANCIAL SERVICES“Willie Walsh’s pledge to cut emissions by [...]
DIGITAL BRITAIN September 22, 2009 LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday headed to the outskirts of town to cut the red ribbon at Japanese electronics giant Canon’s new European headquarters in Stockley Park, near Heathrow. Canon plans to move key departments to London from the Netherlands, creating over 200 new jobs in the first year. Johnson said the move demonstrates London’s [...]
Magna could cut 1,400 jobs at Vauxhall September 22, 2009 MAGNA is thought to have drawn up plans which could see it slash as many as 1,400 jobs at Vauxhall, wiping out around a third of the British car maker’s 4,450 workers. The jobs will be cut at both of Vauxhall’s plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port, while workers in Germany will be comparatively safe. [...]
Rio helped by sale of Alcan September 22, 2009 MINING giant Rio Tinto said yesterday it had disposed of $7bn (£4.3bn) of assets over the past 18 months, as it strives to pay off its debt mountain. The news came a day after it sold its Alcan Composites arm, which makes specialist materials, to Swiss group Schweiter Technologies for $349m. Rio bought the Canadian [...]
Savile sees profits surge September 22, 2009 HUMAN resources consultancy Savile Group said yesterday that it had seen a 157 per cent growth in full-year pre-tax profit, and that it would pay a dividend for the first time in five years. The company reported a profit of £1.85m, on revenues of £10.38m, for the year to 30 June. It said that its [...]
Ofcom warns that regional news will cost ITV network 64m from 2012 September 22, 2009 OFCOM warned yesterday that regional news programming across ITV’s networks could be hemorrhaging up to £64m a year by 2012. The watchdog’s estimate means that new funding is needed to ensure the continued provision of regional news on Channel 3, because the costs of paying for the license would outweigh the benefit. The Channel 3 [...]
Miners gain the most in 2009 so far September 22, 2009 MINING stocks have seen the biggest recovery in value of all FTSE 100 constituents so far this year, according to Thomson Reuters Datastream figures. An increased demand from the construction sector and improved confidence in a global economic recovery have driven mining shares higher, meaning that seven companies from within the sector are in the [...]
