What to expect ahead of Apple’s first quarter earnings since the iPhone 6 launched January 27, 2015 The figures Apple’s first quarter results are always big as they almost always follow an iPhone launch. This year’s no different: we'll find out just how well the iPhone 6 has done. Earnings per share are expected to come in at $2.60, up from expectations of $2.55 a month ago and $2.52 three months ago. [...]
Rolls-Royce in £75m deal to help power up South African trains with 232 MTU Series 4000 engines January 26, 2015 Rolls-Royce has signed a €100m (£75m) contract to deliver 232 MTU Series 4000 engines to a subsidiary of Chinese locomotive manufacturer CNR Dalian in South Africa. The engines, which are the most powerful MTU locomotives currently operating with an output of 3,300 kilowatts each, are to be installed in new freight locomotives for South African operator [...]
Mobile market activity booms as Sky eyes deal with O2 or Vodafone January 26, 2015 Mobile consolidation is set to be a hot topic again this week as European pay-TV operator Sky has been linked in talks with O2 and Vodafone to launch its own mobile offering on one of their networks. The talks come as BT races to finalise more details around its £12.5bn takeover of EE, which it [...]
Chinese SME incubator fund to float on Aim January 26, 2015 GRAND Group Investment, a late-stage incubator fund that invests in Chinese small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), today announced its intention to float on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim). The Cayman-Islands-headquartered company is looking to raise £7.1m from the share placing, which is expected to kick off tomorrow. The placing is forecast to give the firm [...]
Telefónica to sell O2 to Hutchison Whampoa for £10bn January 23, 2015 Telefónica has confirmed it is in exclusive talks with Chinese company Hutchison Whampoa to sell O2 for £10bn, a deal which would revolutionise the landscape of the UK's mobile market. In a statement this morning, Telefónica said the deal would take the form of an initial payment of £9.25bn, followed by deferred payment of £1bn, to [...]
Unilever sales disappoint after China slowdown January 20, 2015 CONSUMER goods giant Unilever reported lower-than-expected fourth quarter sales yesterday as it continued to grapple with a slowdown in demand for its products in emerging markets, particularly in China. The owner of Lipton tea and Dove soap said like-for-like sales rose by 2.1 per cent in the fourth quarter, in line with the third quarter, [...]
Chinese growth data pushes FTSE 100 higher – London Report January 20, 2015 MINING stocks boosted the FTSE 100 yesterday, after Chinese data beat expectations which pleased mining companies that export to the country, although a tepid outlook from Unilever kept confidence in check. The FTSE 100 index closed 0.5 per cent higher at 6,620.10 points, after earlier reaching its highest point since the start of 2015 at [...]
UK will boost foreign investment into China to over £26bn by 2020 January 19, 2015 BRITAIN is set to boost its foreign direct investment into China from £6.7bn to nearly £26bn over the next five years as China becomes one of the most attractive markets for foreign investors. Total global foreign investment in China will soar 177 per cent by 2020 to £1.3 trillion, accounting for 2.8 per cent of [...]
Carrefour hints at China float to follow Brazil January 19, 2015 FRENCH retailer Carrefour has not ruled out listing its Chinese unit, chief executive Georges Plassat told the French daily Les Echos yesterday. He said Carrefour could follow the same scenario as in Brazil, where it sold a 10 per cent stake in its business to billionaire Abilio Diniz last month, in a step towards a [...]
After the Swiss franc bombshell: Traders should expect a bumpy year ahead January 19, 2015 From the Eurozone to the UK, volatility will keep on returning. The Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) shock decision to abandon the Swiss franc’s euro anchor last Thursday saw markets reel. At one point, the euro had crashed 30 per cent against the franc (see graph) before recovering some of its losses. Ajay Pabari, founder [...]