Is honesty the best policy? Why brands should be open about their weaknesses June 24, 2019 Marketing can be complex, with so many sophisticated models, fancy processes, long words, plus various funnels, pyramids, and flow diagrams to help make people look clever. And the growing importance of data has added complexity to the way in which we plan the strategies behind advertising campaigns. But as the legendary ad man Bill Bernbach [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Return to his beloved Ascot can see Sands Of Mali strike June 20, 2019 CHOISIR made history in 2003 when becoming the first horse to win the King’s Stand-Diamond Jubilee double in the same year. It was a remarkable achievement, but 16 years on Blue Point will attempt to repeat the feat in tomorrow’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.20pm). Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old outstayed Battaash to win the King’s Stand for [...]
Matalan boosts revenue despite ‘tough retail climate’ June 3, 2019 Budget fashion brand Matalan boosted profits and revenue last year despite a “tough” retail climate which has seen other retailers forced to launch store closure programmes. The figures Revenue was £1.1bn in the year to 23 February 2019, up from £1.06bn in the previous year driven by a 31 per cent rise in online sales. [...]
Easyjet and Marks and Spencer candidates for relegation in FTSE reshuffle June 2, 2019 Easyjet looks set to be the next company to fall out of the FTSE 100, with several others, including Marks and Spencer, nervously eyeing the drop ahead of the blue chip list’s reshuffle on Wednesday. The budget carrier has faced a turbulent time, which has pushed shares down 22 per cent in the last six [...]
M&S looks set to survive FTSE 100 drop amid £600m rights issue May 29, 2019 Marks & Spencer looks set to remain in the FTSE 100 through the skin of its teeth in next week’s reshuffle after launching a £600m rights issue to fund its joint venture with Ocado. City speculation that the department store chain could drop out of the blue-chip index has mounted after it reported a 10 [...]
Marks & Spencer pension scheme transfers £1.4bn to two insurers May 23, 2019 Troubled retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has transferred £1.4bn in pension scheme liabilities to two insurance companies, bringing the total insurance coverage to two thirds. Phoenix Group has insured £460m of liabilities, covering 5,000 pensioners, while Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has insured £900m of the £10bn pension scheme. Read more: M&S braced for fresh decline [...]
B&M to open 50 UK stores this year despite retail doom and gloom May 23, 2019 Discount retailer B&M said today it plans to open 50 shops this year, despite the wider gloom in the UK retail sector. B&M grew revenue 17 per cent to £3.4bn and profit before tax 8.7 per cent to £249.4m in the 52 weeks to 30 March. The company said it opened 44 new stores in the financial [...]
Hedge funds ramp up bets against Jupiter Fund Management May 22, 2019 Hedge funds have increased their bets against Jupiter Fund Management making it one of the most shorted UK companies. The asset manager’s shorted stock has increased to 10.55 per cent, more than that of struggling firms such as AA and Marks & Spencer, from 7.37 per cent at the beginning of April. Read more: Jupiter assets [...]
Four key things we learned from Marks & Spencer’s results May 22, 2019 There were not expectations of a strong set of results from Marks & Spencer today. The profit drop was expected and profit before tax of £532m was actually in the higher end of the forecast range. However, a share price decline of four per cent shows that these were still a disappointing set of results for investors. [...]
Marks & Spencer shares fall as profits decimated amid restructuring efforts May 22, 2019 Profit before tax at retailer Marks & Spencer fell nearly ten per cent in the last financial year, it said today as it announced plans to close 85 stores. The figures M&S said profit before tax for the year to 31 March was £532.2m, down 9.9 per cent from £580.9m the previous year. Revenue fell [...]