The GPS luggage tags that could change how you travel June 3, 2014 Flights are notorious when it comes to keeping luggage safe, particularly for those who travel by plane regularly. With passengers understandably going to great lengths to distinguish their belongings – from gaudy stickers, oversized labels and, in some cases, spray paint – a technological step forward seems sensible. That’s the thinking of several leading airlines, [...]
Card Factory secures £200m in refinancing June 2, 2014 CARD factory, the budget greetings cards chain which floated on the London Stock Exchange last month, said yesterday it has completed a £200m refinancing. The group said the refinancing deal, which it set out last month at the time of the float, includes a £180m term loan facility and a £20m revolving facility, both with [...]
Regent Street offers futuristic retail adverts June 2, 2014 SHOPPERS strolling down Regent Street will be targeted with adverts from shops pinged directly to their smartphones as part of futuristic new plans unveiled yesterday. The Crown Estate, which is regenerating the mile-long stretch of shops, said retailers will be able to install beacons that connect via bluetooth technology to customers strolling past – helping [...]
Dotcom guru Brent Hoberman back in the market with Made June 2, 2014 BRENT Hoberman, the dotcom poster boy who listed Lastminute.com on the day that the market peaked and managed to ride out the crash before selling the firm for $2bn (£1.2bn) in 2006, is set to return to the stock market after nine years with a new internet flotation. Hoberman, who sits as chairman of Made.com, [...]
Transport for London looks for £3.5bn of commercial revenues June 2, 2014 TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has begun searching for a new sponsor of the city’s bicycle hire scheme, hoping to bring in more money and a long-term partner following Barclays’ departure. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has written to 200 of TfL’s biggest advertisers to gauge interest in sponsoring the bicycles, which were launched on [...]
Sir Philip makes market return with Mysale IPO May 29, 2014 RETAIL tycoon Sir Philip Green is set to make a return to the stock market for the first time in 22 years after Australian flash sales site Mysale confirmed its intention to float yesterday, with a value of more than £300m. The Topshop owner has bought a 25 per cent stake in Mysale for £47m [...]
Saga nudges past issue price on its first day May 29, 2014 Over-50s insurance-to-holiday provider Saga yesterday joined a small band of newly floated firms trading above their issuance stock price, as it began trading in London. The group, which was listed on the stock market at 185p, rose to 188p during the day but ended up barely above its initial price, closing at 185.25p. Saga, which [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher’s shares are tumbling. Here’s why May 29, 2014 Kingfisher shares have shed 6.1 per cent, despite the home improvements retailer announcing a £100m special dividend this morning. Like-for-like sales at B&Q jumped 9.7 per cent to £1bn in the first quarter, with Screwfix seeing a 12 per cent increase, to £192m. But investors may not have been so filled with confidence over the [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 29 May 2014 May 28, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Performance comparison made easy Investors will find it easier to compare the performance of companies around the world following the culmination of a 12-year project to bring together US and international revenue reporting. Accounting regulators in the US and Europe on Wednesday published a joint standard on how companies report revenue from contracts [...]
City Moves for 28 May 2014 | Who’s switching jobs May 27, 2014 Alvarez & Marsal The professional services firm has appointed Jeremy Heales as a senior director in its UK regulatory advisory services practice. He joins from the FCA, where he was most recently head of retail banks. Heales has also held senior roles at the Bank of England and the FCA. BlueBay Asset Management Victoria Muir [...]