London retail sales ahead of rest of UK May 17, 2009 RETAIL sales in central London were up 5.4 per cent in April, compared with the previous year – beating the 4.6 per cent increase in the UK as a whole – according to data released by the British Retail Consortium today. “April was a good month for retail, with Easter falling in the month and [...]
Trio join the cash call craze May 17, 2009 A TRIO of property companies are setting their sights on fundraising this week to exploit opportunities created in the downturn. Great Portland Estates, Big Yellow Group and Shaftesbury have all been working with advisers on how to tap investors for extra cash. West End property specialist Great Portland Estates, is expected to announce a fundraising [...]
Why Randgold Resources’ boss can afford to go on a 48-day bike safari May 17, 2009 BIG, burly, loud and infectious: Mark Bristow, the founder and chief executive of Randgold Resources, looks every inch a mining man. The 6’3” South African is in good form as he bounds into the gold miner’s functional London office in the shadow of the Savoy Hotel (it is undergoing a 16-month £100m refit – the [...]
A Barclays sell-off would be a mistake May 14, 2009 IF Barclays does end up selling its Barclays Global Investors division to a rival such as BlackRock, it will be faced with two major problems. The first would be one of credibility: how can Barclays continue to operate as a universal bank if it lacks an asset manager? Selling iShares makes some sense; the business was [...]
You’re never Gunner derail United’s title bid May 14, 2009 MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENALAFTER a few worries in March, Manchester United are cantering towards an incredible 11th Premier League title and it looks like Sir Alex Ferguson will be lifting the trophy in front of his oldest adversary, Arsene Wenger. The win against Wigan on Wednesday night means that United now only require one point from [...]
The places in town not to be seen May 13, 2009 The Mercer34 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AYDiscreet Seats: The counter at the bar-end of the room: only backs are visible and it would be almost impossible to hear what someone was ordering, let alone which bottle of vintage Bordeaux.Food and drink: Very solid new British cuisine, with everything sourced as locally as possible and an award-winning, [...]
Back to work but challenges of a tough economy remain September 1, 2008 For most of us, today marks the official close of the holiday season. This summer has not been as angst-free as in previous years, because of ongoing concerns over jobs and pay – and, for those in managerial positions, how to steer a course through choppy waters over the next year. My choice of holiday [...]
United at 5/4 leaves no room at the top for big Phil Scolari August 15, 2008 It’s the big kick-off in the Premier League tomorrow and the “Big Four” are already starting to jostle for position. John Terry’s claim that Manchester United have “already peaked” may light the blue touch paper, but new Chelsea coach Luis Felipe Scolari could manage that all by himself. The 59-year-old Brazilian, nicknamed ‘wooden leg’ during [...]
Brace yourself for Bayor August 15, 2008 Emmanuel Adebayor may have been on the verge of leaving Arsenal this summer, but back the lanky forward to prove his newfound loyalty by ensuring West Brom endure a miserable return to the top flight. The Baggies face a daunting trip to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow as the Premier League season kicks off – and [...]
Wenger vows to strengthen ‘light’ Arsenal August 15, 2008 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has promised to splash the cash on a new arrival by the end of the month after resigning himself to losing another of his young Guns. Wenger was without no fewer than nine of his first team stars for the hard-fought 2-0 Champions League win against FC Twente on Wednesday night [...]