Westfield kickstarts new projects in the UK as retail sales increase May 15, 2014 WESTFIELD said shoppers continued to make a beeline for its shopping centres in the first quarter, with the Australian retail giant reporting a solid performance across its two UK sites. Speciality sales at Westfield London and Stratford City rose by 1.6 per cent to £828 per square feet in the three months to 31 March, [...]
What you need to know before the open May 15, 2014 A less positive open is expected today, as investors digest the EU inflation and growth numbers due out today. So far, numbers have shown a shock flatlining of French growth in the first quarter, as the stuttering economy saw household consumption drop. It’s a different story in Germany, however, where warmer weather saw the powerhouse [...]
Walkie Talkie owner more than doubles profit but warns of supply squeeze May 15, 2014 Walkie Talkie tower owner Land Securities says it’s “reaping the reward” of its “bold strategy to develop early and speculatively in London”. The developer’s seen profit before tax rocket 108 per cent to £1.1bn over the last year. Basic net asset value per share jumped 11.5 per cent to 1.069p, as it’s enjoyed the increasingly [...]
British Land warns politics a risk to recovery May 14, 2014 BRITISH Land warned that upcoming political events such as the general election posed “increasing risks” for the property market as the FTSE 100 landlord posted a jump in profits. Chief executive Chris Grigg said yesterday that uncertainty over the outcome of the 2015 elections could put off businesses and investors from investing in the sector. [...]
Enterprise nation’s Emma Jones runs through the support available to SMEs May 14, 2014 SMALL businesses have competitive advantage in developing new products and embracing technology at speed. A number of support programmes – delivered by government and large corporates – offer space, connections, funds and advice on how to integrate technologies into the business, or to get your own innovations to market. Growth Vouchers – access up to [...]
British Land sees profits jump but chief warns on political risks May 14, 2014 British Land, the developer of the City's Cheesegrater skyscraper, has reported an 8.4 per cent jump in underlying profit before tax, to £297m, saying good portfolio decisions and improvements in the commercial property and investment markets have helped it power forward. Full-year net asset value leapt 15.4 per cent, and its UK portfolio valuation rose 8.3 [...]
Any Other Business – 14/05 May 14, 2014 SOME of the capital’s tech heavies gathered at the LSE for the opening of the market yesterday to launch Summit: The Future of Growth, an event run by Seven Hills this Friday to talk, well, growth. Angel investor Sherry Coutu was there, along with education minister Elizabeth Truss and Decoded founder Kathryn Parsons – banging [...]
Price for Card firm narrows May 13, 2014 RETAILER Card Factory has narrowed the price guidance on its London initial public offering to £2.25 to £2.40, two sources familiar with the deal said yesterday. The new guidance, at the lower end of the original price range, gives Card Factory an equity value of £767m to £804m, according to the sources . Books for [...]
The FTSE just hit its highest level since January 2000. Here’s what you need to know May 13, 2014 Traders are shrugging off concerns about tensions over Ukraine, and instead riding the momentum from yesterday's record-setting US session. London's leading index, the FTSE 100, is currently trading at its highest level since January 2000. More broadly European shares have risen to a six-year high after that US rally. Yesterday saw the Dow Jones and [...]
Betters tip Saga stock for strong rise after float May 12, 2014 INSURANCE and consumer services group Saga could be worth up to £2.92bn, well above the expected flotation valuation of £2bn to £2.5bn, according to trades on IG’s grey market in recent days. If the traders are correct, Saga will join other recent initial public offerings (IPO) including Royal Mail, Twitter and Boohoo where the share’s [...]