Victrex continues sales growth October 4, 2012 Thermoplastic polymer manufacturer Victrex said yesterday that second-half volumes were seven per cent ahead on the same period last year at 1,527 tonnes, due to a strong pipeline of business in its polymer solutions business. Full-year volumes increased to a record 2,904 tonnes. Victrex said it had started construction of a £90m peek plant in [...]
Johnson Matthey boosts board October 4, 2012 Johnson Matthey has appointed Colin Matthews as a non-executive director with immediate effect. Matthews has been chief executive of BAA since 2008, and was previously group chief executive for Severn Trent. He has also worked for British Airways, Lattice Group and Hays Group. Johnson Matthey chairman Tim Stevenson said that Matthews had a “wealth of [...]
Leaky roofs and rats – welcome to the City slums October 4, 2012 THE Capitalist would like to thank all those who named and shamed in response to yesterday’s request for contenders in City A.M.’s search for the City Slum of the year. It seems there are rats up drainpipes all over the Square Mile, not to mention leaking roofs. One company complained of a mysterious leak at [...]
Hannam pipes up while Draghi wishes his mic had been muted October 4, 2012 IAN Hannam may have left JP Morgan after a £450,000 fine by the FSA for market abuse, but that hasn’t stopped the newly-established Natural Resources Forum from inviting him to be their keynote speaker at their inaugural event later this month. Hannam is renowned as one of the City’s most knowledgeable bankers in the field [...]
Promethean falls as it is hit by US school cuts October 4, 2012 SHARES in interactive whiteboard maker Promethean World plummeted yesterday, wiping more than 25 per cent off the company’s value, as the firm issued a fresh profit warning. Promethean, which generates most of its revenues from whiteboard sales to US schools, said it had not seen the boost it had expected during the start of the [...]
Luxfer’s New York flotation shines light on London’s listing problems October 4, 2012 Another day, and another company that has its roots firmly in the UK decides to float in the US. In the past few weeks two companies normally associated with the UK market, Manchester United and Salford-based speciality metals group Luxfer, have chosen the US financial markets to list and raise new capital. The latest figures [...]
Phoenix IT chief and auditors out the door as a sale looms October 4, 2012 PHOENIX IT Group yesterday announced a surprise departure of its chief executive, in a move that was seen as paving the way for a sale of the firm. David Courtley stepped down to make way for the firm’s chairman, IT veteran Peter Bertram, while auditors Deloitte were also sacked after “irregularities” over the company’s accounts [...]
Mobile paying firm in tie-up October 4, 2012 MOBILE payment firm Monitise inked a tie-up with US consultancy Cognizant yesterday, opening the door for its software to be integrated with bank systems. The deal is expected to hasten the rise of mobile payments in banking, which Monitise chief Alastair Lukies called “the channel of the future”.
Old Lady holds fire on policy as QE continues October 4, 2012 THE BANK of England’s rate-setting committee decided yesterday to hold off on new policy measures in October, with the Bank making the last of the £50bn purchases announced in July over the month. Analysts across the board had described the decision as a “non-event”, expecting, correctly, that the Bank would “sit on its hands”, and [...]
Halifax data points to house prices stuck in the doldrums October 4, 2012 HOUSE PRICES slipped in September, according to data released by Halifax yesterday, adding to the evidence suggesting a weak housing market. The average UK house price slipped 0.4 per cent during September to £159,586, the Halifax house price index showed, with analysts putting the decline down to poor fundamentals. “The generally weak economic climate remains [...]
