FTSE closes up but US uncertainty weighs on Wall Street December 9, 2010 LONDON’S FTSE 100 closed above 5,800 today for only the second time in almost a month, pushed up by financial services firms. Barclays, RBS and the Prudential were among the biggest gainers, while energy firm BG also rose more than three per cent and services firms Serco and BT also made the top ten. HSBC [...]
HAYWARD: THIS YEAR’S HIGHEST PROFILE CEO December 6, 2010 CAUSE for former BP boss Tony Hayward to take comfort from the old adage, “all news is good news” – if he can. Data from media analysis firm Sweet & Maxwell reveals that he was the most high profile FTSE 100 chief executive in the last year. The beleaguered Hayward, who was banished from BP [...]
ANGER OVER COST OF SNOW FIASCO December 2, 2010 THE COST to the UK economy of the mounting chaos bought by the snow and unseasonally cold temperatures could be as much as £1.2bn a day, it was claimed yesterday. As the seventh day of the cold snap saw the disruption reach the south-east of England, with more than six inches of snow falling overnight, [...]
Stars in their pies: mincemeat magic December 1, 2010 WHILE turkey and Christmas pudding are held back for the meal on the big day, mince pies are the real staple of the festive season. People who wouldn’t normally dream of a mid-afternoon snack will suddenly find themselves gobbling down piles of pastry and fruity mincemeat, while every cocktail party and seasonal bash is overflowing [...]
Myners to join board of children’s charity ARK November 28, 2010 LORD MYNERS will today be appointed to the board of trustees for the international children’s charity ARK (Absolute Return for Kids). Myners, who started his career as a teacher, described ARK as a “tremendously innovative and dynamic charity”. A former chairman of Marks & Spencer, Myners was headhunted by ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to be [...]
Real estate shares surge as bid for CSC sparks appetite November 25, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading shares pushed higher yesterday, buoyed by strength in heavyweight miners and banks, and by gains from real estate issues as Capital Shopping Centres bounced on bid interest. At the close, the FTSE 100 was up 41.83 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 5,698.93, dipping back in the closing auction after hitting a late-afternoon [...]
Reuben brothers plan new tower November 22, 2010 THE BILLIONAIRE Reuben brothers’ property firm has applied for planning permission for a 42-storey tower in the Paddington Basin, ramping up its redevelopment plan for the area. European Land and Property, a joint venture between the Reubens’ firm Aldersgate and the Jarvis family trust Pearcroft, altered its planning application earlier this month to include the [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS November 18, 2010 MARKS & SPENCER Execution Noble has upgraded the supermarket to “buy” with an upgraded fair value price of 475p, following its research on M&S customers. The broker sees the firm’s new strategy as a real driver for sales growth, with the food business as a particularly strong opportunity. It adds that the brand could also [...]
Securitas eyes new UK deals November 17, 2010 THE chief executive of Securitas, one of the world’s largest security companies, is warning that the global threat posed by terrorism is escalating while vigilance at airports means travellers will have to pay the price with longer queues. The company Alf Goransson leads provides security at four airports in the UK, including Liverpool and the [...]
Northern Foods and Greencore plan merger November 17, 2010 Food manufacturer Northern Foods has agreed to merge with Ireland’s Greencore Group to create a combined group with annual sales of around £1.7bn. The deal will see the creation of a combined business to be named Essenta Foods which will be headquartered in Dublin, the companies said in a joint statement. Northern Foods shareholders will [...]