BG looks to a bright future despite losses October 28, 2009 BG GROUP, the oil and gas major, said yesterday that profits had tumbled on the back of an energy price slump, but maintained the outlook for the immediate future was bright. Profits at the group, which had pleased investors with a string of recent discoveries in Brazil, fell to £838m, including one-time items, for the [...]
Ashley to sell naming rights after taking Toon off market October 27, 2009 NEWCASTLE owner Mike Ashley last night officially took the club off the market and appointed caretaker boss Chris Hughton as the team’s permanent manager. The announcement brought to an end months of extreme uncertainty, triggered by the club’s relegation from the Premier League in May and Ashley’s subsequent decision to put them up for sale. [...]
US consumer still lacking in confidence October 27, 2009 DETERIORATING US consumer confidence yesterday dealt a sharp blow to hopes of a sustainable recovery in the world’s largest economy, despite house price data showing a modest improvement. The headline consumer confidence index slipped back to 47.7 in October from 53.4 the previous month and worryingly, still remains well below the 61.4 mark seen at [...]
A helping hand to lift you on to the property ladder October 22, 2009 GETTING on the property ladder is notoriously difficult in London. But if you’re one of the thousands of young professionals earning a decent salary – but still not able to fork out the post-credit crunch minimum deposit of 20 per cent in order to attain a mortgage- then you may have more options than you [...]
Housing will feel the loss of bankers October 18, 2009 A WINDFALL tax on banks and a clamp down on bonuses could den the recovery of the ravaged house property market, industry experts said yesterday. Knight Frank head of research Liam Bailey said: “In the recent past bonuses have had the impact of increasing demand for top London properties. A tax on bonuses will undoubtedly [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 15, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES BUYERS AWAIT DYSON’S FANSSir James Dyson, champion of British industrial design, has launched his latest invention aimed at catapulting the conventional electric desk fan into the 21st century. His “Air Multiplier” fan boasts reduced energy consumption and no external blades. But fans of Dyson inventions must wait several weeks for the fan to [...]
CITY VIEWS: ARE YOU WORRIED THAT HOUSE PRICES COULD SOAR OUT OF CONTROL AGAIN? October 6, 2009 TONY DOONA CARILLION“I don’t believe they will get out of control, in fact I think they’re more likely to go down again. There’s a shortage of cash in general and it’ll be no better next year. There’s no construction going on, simply because no one has any money. I can’t see the government doing anything [...]
GE talking to Comcast over NBC Universal October 1, 2009 GENERAL Electric is understood to be holding talks to sell 51 per cent of NBC Universal to Comcast, which would pay up to $7bn (£4.4bn) in cash and contribute some programming assets to the new, jointly owned company. GE, which owns 80 per cent of NBC Universal, is considering a host of proposals for NBC [...]
Big Four clash should prove a tight contest October 1, 2009 CHELSEA vs LIVERPOOLCHELSEA suffered their first dropped points of the season at Wigan last weekend which has seen Hills lengthen their title odds to a best-priced 7/4. It was another high scoring game at the DW Stadium and the average number of goals in the last three rounds of the Premier League has been an [...]
Private equity shows signs of recovery next year September 30, 2009 AS WE move into the fourth quarter, prospects for private equity look promising as capital markets and the economy stabilise. But, as firms turn their attention to strategy for 2010, is it too early to be talking about a full-scale revival in the industry next year? One man thinks not. Bob Henry at small buyout [...]