Chinese retailer Fraspens plans £40m Aim float July 21, 2014 ONE OF China’s largest outdoor clothing brands, whose board members include former Sportingbet chief Nigel Payne, has announced plans today for a £40m float on London’s junior market. Fraspens, based in Quanzhou, south east China, makes outdoor clothing, footwear and accessories sold in 580 outlets across China. The company is China’s third largest local outdoor [...]
Heaven in a box: Rococo Chocolates’ Chantal Coady talks hurricanes and strong wine July 20, 2014 Luxury chocolatiers weren’t a common sight in 1983 England. Stalwarts like Thorntons and Prestat were around but, save imports from the continent, it was a market waiting to be tapped. And 24- year old Chantal Coady realised this. The founder of Rococo Chocolates was then participating in the Youth Training Scheme, an on-the-job training course [...]
Spire Healthcare set for float at bottom end of price range July 16, 2014 Private health firm Spire Healthcare yesterday opted for the lower end of its previously published share price range for its imminent stock market float in London. One week ago, Spire announced a wide spread for the price range – from 210p to 300p, but is now looking at 210p to 220p, according to people closely [...]
Lidl goes on claret offensive with wine range to tempt wealthier Londoners July 16, 2014 Lidl is ploughing £12m into a wine range designed to attract wealthier customers away from rival British supermarket chains. The discount retailer which has flourished in recent penny-pinching times is heavily investing in the premium wine range, priced between £4.99 and £25.99, in a bid to attract middle class customers away from suffering supermarkets, the [...]
Stansted ups profits for owner Manchester Airport Group July 16, 2014 Manchester Airport Group (MAG) lifted earnings by 2.8 per cent to £242m in the last financial year, with the group benefitting from improving trends at Stansted Airport, which it acquired in February 2013. Passenger numbers were up 4.3 per cent at MAG airports to 43.8m, with Stansted seeing positive increases in passenger numbers after years [...]
Russian hypermarket Lenta eyes expansion as its sales accelerate July 16, 2014 Russian hypermarket chain Lenta said it expects full-year sales to accelerate further despite the backdrop of a slowing economy, as it aimed to expand its presence across the country by a third. The group, which floated in London in February, expected sales to grow by 34 to 38 per cent this year, a step up [...]
Quindell bids to reassure investors July 14, 2014 Quindell, the Aim-listed insurance firm whose shares plummeted 60 per cent following a scathing blog post by US short seller Gotham City Research, came out fighting yesterday with a bullish trading statement showing a 117 per cent jump in revenues over the past six months. Shares in the firm rose 30 per cent on the [...]
London Report: FTSE 100 lifted by Sports Direct and Shire talks July 14, 2014 BRITAIN’S top equity index rose for a second straight day in thin trade yesterday, helped by rises in bid-target drugs firm Shire and retailer Sports Direct. Shares in Shire hit a record high of 5,045 pence – before paring back gains into the close – after its board said it was ready to recommend a [...]
Smithfield has been saved from destruction – now we must rescue it from neglect July 14, 2014 Eric Pickles’s rejection of the redevelopment plans for Smithfield Market will have been as surprising and unwelcome to the City of London as Germany’s stunning World Cup defeat of the home team was to Brazil on the same day. But for both, the events of last week could turn out to be a blessing in [...]
London Report: Unemployment figures set to show recovery July 14, 2014 UNEMPLOYMENT figures this week are expected to show that the number of people out of work has dropped again, as the UK recovery takes hold. Jobs data is likely to show an unemployment rate of 6.5 per cent in the three months to May, down from 6.9 per cent in the quarter to February. Despite [...]