Three fired as Apprentices enter final straight December 15, 2010 THE penultimate episode and the welcome return of a familiar face. For the interview challenge, Lord Sugar prised Margaret Mountford from her scrolls (she’s completing a Ph.D in Papyrology) to interrogate the final five. Her steely glare and raised eyebrow were as effective as ever, though other interviewers favoured a less subtle approach. “I’m going [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: IS THE SHINE COMING OFF THE IPO FIRM’S SUCCESS STORY December 15, 2010 PHILIP DORGAN | ALTIUM SECURITIES Given the premium rating and no upgrades, coupled with the gross margin comment, the shares may struggle to make progress. NICK BUBB | ARDEN The statement reads very well, with Christmas going well. SuperGroup looks to be ahead of expectations in sales for womenswear for 2011 to 2012. MATTHEW MCEACHRAN [...]
Don’t plan on making any knee-jerk moves in January December 15, 2010 A RECENT survey by Morgan McKinley found that the number of City job vacancies was up year-on-year for the 12th consecutive month, 9 per cent in November. Traditionally, the first quarter sees a flurry of hiring, following the clear-outs that accompany the bonus season. So will we see this in 2011? With all the kerfuffle [...]
Show your love with a good book December 15, 2010 OK, Christmas is closing in. Chances are you’ve done the bulk of your shopping, or at least you know what you’re getting for your friends and family. But there may still be some holes to be filled, and if there are, there’s no better way to fill them than with a well-chosen book. Books as gifts [...]
Festive drams December 15, 2010 A FINE bottle of Scotch whisky makes a terrific Christmas present for anyone who appreciates a dram of the good stuff. But finding the best bottlings isn’t easy, and there are thousands to choose from. So we asked Neil Ridley, whiskey expert and the brains behind the CaskStrength.net blog, to select the whiskies that he’d [...]
Euro worries push banks down, leave FTSE flat December 15, 2010 THE FTSE tipped up to 5897 briefly this afternoon but sank again to close flat at 5882, dogged by Eurozone worries and poor performances by the banks. Barclays was the top FTSE100 faller, down 3.7 per cent as worries resurfaced over European sovereign debt, caused by Moody’s announcement that it was reviewing Spain’s credit rating, [...]
SuperGroup sees profit soar by 69pc December 15, 2010 SuperGroup, which owns the Superdry fashion brand, posted a 69 per cent rise in first-half profit and said the early signs of Christmas trading were “very encouraging”. “The autumn/winter collection has been well received by our customers in the UK and overseas, and our owned and franchised retail expansion is progressing as planned,” the firm [...]
England must go for jugular. This isn’t over… yet December 14, 2010 I CAN’T think of a better Christmas present to everyone involved in English cricket than securing the Ashes; it would be absolutely fantastic. Victory in the third Test, which starts in the small hours of tonight, would guarantee we bring the urn back to these shores, and you can be sure that’s exactly what all [...]
FIRST GIG IN 600 YEARS TO COME TO GUILDHALL December 14, 2010 GUILDHALL has seen its fair share of important cultural events over the years:?the trials of Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer and those involved in the gunpowder plot. But only now is this hallowed hall to host the first ever rock concert in its 600 year history, in the miserable month of February next year, when [...]
Snow disturbs sales jump at Travis Perkins December 14, 2010 BUILDERS merchant Travis Perkins said yesterday that turnover for the year had risen 6.5 per cent, though the wintry weather has hit recent sales, as it completed its £558m takeover of BSS Group. The firm saw a jump in sales in the last two months to 30 November, although it said the snow and freezing [...]