IT’S HAPPY FAMILIES AS LIZ GOES IN-HOUSE February 21, 2011 BEFORE heading out to lunch yesterday, Elisabeth Murdoch, or “Liz”, fired off a quick, “confidential” email to her several hundred employees at Shine Group, the media group snapped up by News Corp. Luckily, it was quickly forwarded on to The Capitalist. “I did want to take a minute to thank you all for your patience while [...]
FOUR PLAY: the mercury rises too high February 21, 2011 ROOM 400. I smile. I have to admire Sandy’s fastidiousness. He wants this deal brought in at 400 basis points over Libor. My room reservation is his idea of a gentle reminder. 450 would have been a threat and anything on the fifth floor and I’d be on the phone to a decent headhunter. I [...]
Warner gets ready for takeover offers February 20, 2011 WARNER Music Group is ready to hear from up to 20 takeover bidders this week, a source close to the company confirmed yesterday, as the major label races to the market ahead of rival EMI. New York-listed Warner hired Goldman Sachs last month to examine its options, which could lead to the sale of all [...]
2011 is the year that London becomes the world’s best place to stay February 20, 2011 JUST when it seemed as though London couldn’t fit another slice of luxury into its five star-crammed hotel scene, along comes… well, everything. This has been a huge year for the capital. The completion of the spectacular £200m refurb of the Savoy sparked the buzz of excitement. Since then, Park Lane has seen the rebirth [...]
Rentokil full-year profit higher than expected February 18, 2011 Pest control and cleaning firm Rentokil posted a 15 per cent rise in full-year pretax profit and said it will focus on improving its struggling City Link business in 2011. The company, which provides textiles and washrooms services, parcel deliveries and tropical plants, said on Friday adjusted pretax profit had risen to £192.3m after strong [...]
Game Group looks online to stem the tide of falling sales February 16, 2011 THE new chief of video games chain Game said yesterday his strategy to cope with the trend away from buying physical games would be to concentrate on online sales. Ian Shepherd said he plans a “step change in our online revenues”. However he admitted that a large chunk of the £15m cost savings the group [...]
Thorntons in profit warning as sales falter February 16, 2011 THORNTONS issued a profit warning yesterday, becoming the latest retailer to flag a worsening consumer environment and announce plans to close stores as spending habits change. The chocolatier, which has 371 owned stores and 229 franchise outlets, said profit before tax and one-off items fell 8.5 per cent to £8.3m in the 28 weeks to [...]
Rise in corporate travel boosts Hogg Robinson February 16, 2011 BUSINESS travel firm Hogg Robinson yesterday raised its profit expectations for the full-year due to a boost in travel activity, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Hogg Robinson said travel books rose 15 per cent in the four months to the end of January, while the amount spent per client rose 15 per cent in [...]
WHISKY, JAZZ, AND BETTING ON THE EURO February 16, 2011 WITH whisky tasting, a jazz band and the chance to win a sports car for the weekend on offer, WorldSpreads winter party (definitely not just a late Christmas do) was the place to be in the City on Tuesday night. Held in a candlelit crypt underneath St Etheldreda’s church near Chancery Lane, the night saw [...]
Entertainment One soars on Peppa Pig success February 15, 2011 ENTERTAINMENT One said yesterday it expected full-year results to beat market estimates after its British animated television series, Peppa Pig (right), racked up strong retail sales in 2010. The entertainment company that specialises in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content said Peppa Pig licensing activity had a robust Christmas with sales [...]