WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 31, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES TOPAZ POSTPONES $1.7BN FLOTATION Topaz Energy & Marine, one of the biggest oilfield service companies in the Middle East, has pulled its $1.7bn flotation in London less than a month after announcing its intention to list, becoming the latest corporate victim of the civil unrest sweeping the region. Oman’s Renaissance Services blamed the [...]
Dixons warns on profits for second time March 30, 2011 DIXONS Retail, the owner of Currys and PC World, yesterday said it would slash costs as it issued its second profit warning in three months. The firm said consumer confidence had deteriorated since the start of the year, especially in the UK and Ireland, hitting sales of big ticket electrical items such as flat screen [...]
FTSE rally continues despite earnings woes for retailers March 30, 2011 THE FTSE 100 closed higher for a sixth consecutive session yesterday, its best run since August 2010, as investors ditched retailers over earnings worries in favour of growth sectors such as industrials and mining. Dixons issued a profit warning and gloomy outlook as a survey from the CBI showed the underlying trend for retail sales [...]
M&S signs up Conran March 24, 2011 Marks & Spencer yesterday unveiled a partnership with the founder of household furnisher Habitat as part of a move to modernise its Home department. British designer Sir Terence Conran will oversee the design of furniture, bedding, lighting and kitchenware in the “contemporary” section. M&S chief executive Marc Bolland is overseeing the revamp which is part [...]
M&S hires overseas retail chief February 24, 2011 MARKS & Spencer (M&S) has poached Jan Heere from Spanish fashion group Inditex to lead its drive for business overseas. The clothing, homewares and food retailer yesterday named Heere as its new director of international, reporting to chief executive Marc Bolland. It said Heere, fluent in English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Russian, has worked for [...]
Legal eagle: how London’s top law firm retained its grip on the City February 20, 2011 The head of law firm Slaughter and May is two minutes late for his interview with City A.M., for which he immediately apologies. The first thing is surprising; the second is not. The partners in this blueblooded City institution have spent a lifetime doing things correctly. Even among other Magic Circle outfits, this firm manages [...]
FTSE shrugs off bank levy tax as it surges to 32-month high February 8, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index jumped higher yesterday, ending at levels not seen since May 2008, supported by rallies from banks and miners, and by gains in energy issues following results from BG Group. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was up 40.30 points, or 0.7 per cent at 6,091.33, its fifth gain in the [...]
FTSE dips as banks come under pressure February 8, 2011 The FTSE 100 dipped this morning despite strong results from Xstrata and BG Group. The index has gained in four out of the last five trading sessions – regularly surpassing the 6,000 barrier, but banking stocks were among the poorest performers today. Commodities dipped as the price of copper came down after a record high [...]
M&S poaches Tesco’s online guru Wade-Gery February 7, 2011 Upmarket retailer Marks & Spencer has poached Laura Wade-Gery from supermarket group Tesco to head its internet business, underscoring new boss Marc Bolland’s commitment to online sales growth. M&S, the UK’s biggest clothing retailer, said Wade-Gery is to join as executive director of multi-channel and e-commerce at a time and on terms to be confirmed. [...]
The City’s top headhunter on why firms still need to recruit the best February 6, 2011 PERHAPS not surprisingly, Odgers Berndtson’s boss was in an upbeat mood when City A.M. visited him recently in his large office overlooking Hanover Square in the West End. Last year’s preliminary revenues had just come in: they are an improvement on the year before, always welcome news in the present environment. Richard Boggis-Rolfe, the privately-held [...]