Verizon covers move by Sprint and offers unlimited data to US customers February 13, 2017 Competition between US mobile phone firms is set to hot up as the country’s largest operator announced plans to introduce unlimited data packages. Verizon’s move – seemingly at odds with statements made by one of its top executives last month – comes after competitor Sprint last week introduced similar plans. Through an introductory plan announced on Sunday, the [...]
GVC shares jump after final quarter bonanza and debt savings February 2, 2017 Shares in online gambling firm GVC leapt nearly six per cent today after the firm revealed a jackpot fourth quarter that beat market expectations. Net gaming revenue (NGR), gross bets less associated payouts, jumped by nine per cent to €231m (£199m) in the final three months of the year. Read more: GVC shares jump after betting [...]
Government makes savings on latest board appointment for Premium Bond operator February 2, 2017 The government has appointed the new chief executive of National Savings & Investments (NS&I), the firm that looks after over £135bn of Treasury-backed savings. Ian Ackerley takes over from interim boss Steve Owen, who babysat the position after Jane Platt left last August following 10 years in the role. Platt moved on to concentrate on her position as a non-exec [...]
Vodafone shares lose momentum: Analysts reflect on Indian and UK concerns February 2, 2017 Pricing pressure in both Europe and India continued to weigh on Vodafone, after the telecoms giant revealed its third quarter trading today. Organic group service revenue grew by 1.7 per cent during the third quarter to December, a touch ahead of market consensus expectations of 1.6 per cent. Shares initially fell nearly three per cent [...]
Tesco Bank’s chief exec says lenders don’t pay customers enough interest on current accounts February 2, 2017 The boss of Tesco Bank has hit out at high street rivals, claiming they make billions of pounds by skimping on the rate of interest paid to customers. Benny Higgins, who led the lender through a mammoth cyber attack on Tesco Bank last November, said the amount of switching between providers remains "stubbornly low", something lenders [...]
More than Just enough: JRP beats market expectations for margins and its own on costs February 2, 2017 Shares in specialist insurer JRP Group jumped over four per cent on the news profit margins had beaten guidance and the group's merger with Partnership Assurance is delivering better than expected results. The figures New business numbers for the full year were down by 11 per cent at £2.4bn. The primary driver of this was [...]
AstraZeneca shares fall despite in line full-year earnings February 2, 2017 AstraZeneca shares slipped over one per cent after warning many of its patents will run out during 2017. The figures Fourth quarter revenues were down 13 per cent at $5.6bn with full year revenues lower by seven per cent at $23.0bn. Core operating profit was up by 30 per cent in the quarter at $2.0bn, [...]
Boardroom merry-go-round: Dunstone takes on exec role at TalkTalk and hands over Dixons Carphone reins to Livingston February 1, 2017 Lord Livingston will take over as chairman of Dixons Carphone from Sir Charles Dunstone, who today unveiled plans to concentrate his attentions on a new exec chairman role at telecoms firm TalkTalk. The move means a return to Dixons Carphone for the former minister for trade and investment, who was previously the finance chief at Dixons for six years. Read more: [...]
Fresh from its dispute with Sky, Discovery channel Eurosport has clinched the Olympics across six countries February 1, 2017 Fresh from securing a last-minute deal with Sky to save its channels yesterday, Discovery today announced an Olympic tie-up with broadcasters across six European countries. Discovery spent last week embroiled in a public spat with Sky over the future of its channels on Sky's UK and German platforms. Read more: Sky & Discovery close in on 11th [...]
BT Openreach separation plans to “rebuild trust and credibility” aren’t enough for Ofcom February 1, 2017 BT plans to make Openreach more independent by bolstering its board were today rebuffed by regulators as falling short of their requirements. Openreach held its first board full meeting yesterday and today announced the appointment of Sir Brendan Barber, the former general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Edward Astle, a former board member of the National Grid, as independent [...]
