Firms pledge school links May 20, 2012 BUSINESSES are backing a campaign to get more young people into work, it was announced today. Firms including Marks and Spencer, Deloitte and Nestle are joining the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to build links with schools and colleges, and provide more opportunities for vocational education and training. “We also to move beyond constant [...]
LONDON WEEK AHEAD May 20, 2012 GIVEN property developer British Land’s significant presence in the City, its full-year results will be closely watched this morning for signs of how the Eurozone crisis is hitting the company’s retail lettings. Budget airline Ryanair will also release its full-year results, as will outsourcing group Mitie. The spotlight will turn to the UK high street [...]
London still needs a Plus Markets for small-cap listings May 20, 2012 LAST week was a rollercoaster for the small-cap community, with uncertainty surrounding Plus Markets. It culminated in the announcement that Michael Spencer’s Icap has agreed conditionally, upon approval by the FSA and Plus shareholders, to acquire Plus SX and its Recognised Investment Exchange status. Plus companies and advisers will be relieved at Icap’s commitment to [...]
Here’s the real Plan B for Britain: We need a competition revolution May 14, 2012 NO ONE can dispute that the UK economy needs more growth. It seems that the coalition’s essential austerity measures are not enough. But despite its cheerleaders, the usual Plan B, based on debt-financed infrastructure spending, won’t make any difference to growth – while denting confidence. One such plan suggested £30bn in spending. Over three years, [...]
Troubling times for retailers to the squeezed middle April 29, 2012 SPARE a thought for the squeezed middle. No, not the ordinary family as defined by Ed Miliband, but the places they shop and the things they buy. The mid-market consumer firm is finding the going very tough indeed. There has been much written about Tesco’s troubles in recent months, punctuated by a series of ignominious [...]
M&S in clothes recycling drive April 26, 2012 ■ Marks & Spencer yesterday launched a new sustainability drive, asking its customers to start “shwopping”, by donating unwanted clothing every time they buy something new. Actress Joanna Lumley helped the retailer kick off the initiative yesterday at a Brick Lane warehouse decorated with 9,513 pieces of clothing – the amount that goes to landfill [...]
Marks & Spencer sales hit by shortage of stock April 17, 2012 MARKS & SPENCER reported worse-than-expected fourth quarter sales yesterday after the retailer was hit by a shortage of stock across some of its best-selling women’s clothing lines. Chief executive Marc Bolland said the company had been caught out by February’s cold snap, when it failed to meet demand for items such as coats and knitwear. [...]
ANALYST VIEWS DOES MARKS & SPENCER’S STATEMENT AFFECT YOUR FORECASTS FOR NEXT YEAR ? April 17, 2012 BETHANY HOCKING INVESTEC Fourth quarter trading figures are weak but cost savings appear to have saved the day, with no change to full year expectations… For 2013 we have the first guidance – net this is negative, with cost growth worst than our forecast. The only good news is the downgraded capex guidance. Overall, however, [...]
Bouncing back banking shares see FTSE jump by nearly two per cent April 17, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index gained nearly two per cent yesterday, led by a rebound in banking stocks after a well-covered Spanish bill auction eased some concerns about banks’ exposure to Eurozone debt. Barclays was the top sector performer, rallying 4.6 per cent after BofA Merrill Lynch said earnings upgrades could be on the horizon for [...]
FTSE edges up thanks to banks April 17, 2012 London’s blue chip index edged up this morning but the Eurozone debt crisis continued to cast a shadow. Spain’s borrowing costs have jumped and the country is grappling to get back on track with a tough set of austerity measures. The FTSE 100 built on limited gains in yesterday’s session as investors took cover in [...]