Marks & Spencer reports 1.5pc fall in underlying sales July 8, 2014 High street retailer Marks & Spencer has released its quarterly figures, revealing a 1.5 per cent fall in underlying sales. The results, which are for the 13 weeks to 28 June, also show that like-for-like sales of clothing fell by 0.6 per cent, marking three straight years of quarterly falls for the division. [...]
Marks & Spencer is preparing to defend clothing to shareholders July 7, 2014 Marks & Spencer boss Marc Bolland is expected mount a vigorous defence of his turnaround strategy today and insist that its clothing arm is on the mend, despite analysts expecting another fall in general merchandise sales. The retailer is likely to face a grilling from shareholders attending the annual general meeting at Wembley stadium over [...]
London report: Housing data to show soaring market levelling July 6, 2014 Housing prices are likely to be in focus this week, as two surveys show prices are still rising, though the market is levelling off. The RICS survey, published today, is expected to show less growth than in past months. Barclays’ Armela Mancellari said: “We expect the overall balance to have edged down [...]
Fidelity revolts over executive short-termism July 3, 2014 FUND manager Fidelity yesterday launched an attack on executive pay after revealing it voted against aspects of pay deals at more than half of UK annual meetings this year. The influential group, which owns stakes in hundreds of UK-listed companies, said it had voted against remuneration proposals for 52 per cent of FTSE 350 firms [...]
Tesco chairman Sir Richard Broadbent flies to Burma to broker F&F clothing deal July 2, 2014 Tesco chairman Sir Richard Broadbent flew to Burma this week to broker a deal that would see it source clothing from the country for its fast-growing clothing brand F&F. Broadbent, who travelled with group commercial director Kevin Grace, is understood to be meeting suppliers and government officials as well opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. [...]
London Report: FTSE ends on a high on strong economic data July 2, 2014 Britain’s top share index hit a one-week high yesterday, with upbeat economic data from the US and China improving investor sentiment and boosting cyclical sectors such as banks and miners and carmakers. The FTSE 100 index closed 0.2 per cent firmer at 6,816.37 points, after climbing to a high of 6,829.49, the highest level since [...]
Marks & Spencer reshuffles the pack to bring together website and buildings June 30, 2014 British retailer Marks & Spencer yesterday announced that it would increase the responsibilities of the five key executives under chief executive Marc Bolland as part of a restructuring of its management team aimed at driving greater accountability. As part of the reshuffle, M&S announced that its international director Jan Heere had quit and that [...]
Monitise buys voucher firm Markco for £55m June 26, 2014 MOBILE payments firm Monitise yesterday said it would acquire MyVoucherCodes.co.uk and Last Second Tickets owner Markco Media in a £54.5m deal. Monitise said the acquisitions would allow it to become “the enabling partner of choice amid the biggest shift in financial services and shopping in a generation, as brands turn to mobile”. The deal is [...]
Land Securities buys Bluewater shopping mall stake for £656m June 25, 2014 LAND Securities has bought Lend Lease’s 30 per cent stake in Britain’s fourth largest shopping centre Bluewater for £656m after a heated battle for the site. The acquisition is a coup for property giant, which has been selling several of its regional shopping centres in order to make way for acquisitions in the south east [...]
Best of the Brokers for 26 June 2014 June 25, 2014 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com KAZAKHMYS Westhouse Securities has cut Kazakhmys to “add” from “buy”, keeping the target price at 350p. The broker thinks the news of reduced mineral extraction tax rates for mature assets as part of a planned restructuring is positive, but cut the rating to [...]