McDonald’s share price jumps despite continued fall in sales April 22, 2015 The figures McDonald's share price shot upwards in early trading after the fast food giant announced a return of $1.4bn to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Yet the rising stock masks what was another poor quarter for Ronald and co. Sales at company-operated restaurants decreased by 13 per cent to $3.9bn in the first quarter [...]
Pret A Manger thriving on a macaroni diet April 21, 2015 Quinoa and coffee are the order of the day, Clive Schlee tells Jenny Forsyth PRET A Manger boss Clive Schlee is talking quickly and excitedly. Perhaps he’s just feeling upbeat about the British cafe chain’s record yearly figures – showing a total sales rise of 16 per cent to £594m. Or maybe he’s had a [...]
Join our readers’ Wine Club April 20, 2015 Whether you’re an investor or an oenophile, joining City A.M.’s club can help you build your dream cellar City A.M. has launched a readers’ Wine Club aimed at both investors and those who simply enjoy the finer things in life. We are working with some of the world’s leading wine estates to provide exclusive offers [...]
Join City A.M. Wine Club and build your dream cellar April 20, 2015 City A.M. has launched a readers’ Wine Club aimed at both investors and those who simply enjoy the finer things in life. We will be working with some of the world’s leading wine estates to provide exclusive offers on some of the most exciting bottles on the market; you can either pick out your favourites [...]
Unfinished business: Serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson talks sentimentality, curves and the General Election April 19, 2015 It's a big wide world, and there’s a lot to be done. It’s important to have a sense of urgency.” This is business polymath Luke Johnson’s answer to why it is that he has quite so many business interests – his industriousness is astonishing. Johnson, who waded into the world of business after getting a [...]
Nestle in exclusive talks to sell frozen food business to Brakes April 15, 2015 NESTLE said yesterday that it is in exclusive talks to sell its frozen food business Davigel to food service operator Brakes Group as part of its drive to focus on its core operations. The Swiss consumer giant, which owns household staples including Cheerio’s cereal and Kit Kat chocolate bars, has been offloading non-core businesses in [...]
British Land grabs a £210m site April 14, 2015 BRITISH Land has added to its huge swathe of property in Paddington after buying Visa Europe’s headquarters for £210m. The UK’s second biggest listed landlord said yesterday it has acquired One Sheldon Square at Paddington Central from Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund. Paddington Central is a vast 11 acre campus comprising offices, restaurants and shops close [...]
Horsing around in the city April 13, 2015 YOU’VE heard of bulls in china shops but you probably haven’t heard of horses in City restaurants. But that’s exactly what you’re looking at – yesterday saw several world class ponies, and polo players, descend on the M Restaurant on Threadneedle Street, to check out the venue ahead of a Meet the Polo Players dinner [...]
From flights to philanthropy: Ebookers founder Dinesh Dhamija talks luck, Romania and why Britain’s entrepreneurs shouldn’t be too bothered about the General Election April 12, 2015 We often hear that the startup landscape of today lacks funding opportunities: the banks still aren’t lending to small businesses, and despite pockets of cash existing, unless you’ve got the inside track, it’s difficult to know how to access them. But Dinesh Dhamija, the multi-millionaire son of an Indian diplomat who, in 1999, founded online [...]
Have a whale of a time beside the Sunshine Coast in the real Australia April 12, 2015 Everyone knows it’s a long way to Australia, but I don’t think people really compute just how claustrophobic a 24 hour flight is until they’ve done it. When I touched down in Brisbane, a small child jubilantly ripped her seatbelt off and cried, “I’m free, Mummy! I’m free!” I was right there with her. If [...]