BBC charter review panel: Meet the eight people deciding the broadcaster’s future July 12, 2015 The government has selected a panel of independent advisors to lead a review of the BBC's royal charter, which will shape the future of the public broadcaster. An eight-person team of media professionals and experts, with backgrounds in broadcasting, production, technology and media regulation, have been chosen by the culture secretary John Whittingdale to conduct [...]
Ocado confident of closing first deal with international retailer June 30, 2015 OCADO said yesterday it was confident of signing its first deal with an international retailer this year, after delivering better-than-expected first half sales. The online grocer’s shares rose more than 15 per cent in June on hopes that it would announce a deal alongside its results. They fell in early morning trading as a deal [...]
Ocado targets international deals after beating profit expectation June 30, 2015 The figures Ocado delivered better-than-expected pre-tax profit of £7.2m in the first half of the year, amid reports the grocery delivery giant is closing in on a deal with an international retailer. Read more: Ocado's making robots that will help in the workplace Despite intense price competition in the UK's supermarket sector, Ocado enjoyed a 15.7 [...]
Best of the Brokers for 30 June 2015 June 29, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com IG GROUP The stock keeps its “hold” rating and target price of 758p from Numis, which believes good strategic progress is being made with the stockbroking offering in the Netherlands and work towards a regulatory licence in Dubai. WENTWORTH RESOURCES Panmure Gordon dropped [...]
Mortgage data expected to hint at improvement – London Report June 28, 2015 MORTGAGE approvals data from the Bank of England, out today, is expected to show an improvement in housing market activity during May. The bank is expected to reveal that mortgage approvals for house purchases rose modestly further to be at a 15-month high of 68,500 during the month. GDP growth is likely to be revised [...]
Natoora’s Franco Fubini on why he prefers Italy’s food to its labour laws June 28, 2015 It is a promising time for Britain’s premium food sector. Last year, sales of organic food rose by 4 per cent to £1.86bn and specialised suppliers have been looking to capitalise on a disenchantment with supermarkets. Franco Fubini is one of them. “I was in the fresh produce section of a chain of delicatessens [...]
My mid-life crisis over technology stocks – CNBC Comment June 22, 2015 Nostalgia is a dangerous thing. A couple of years ago I broke a golden rule of mine. I went to a LIFFE market reunion. It was a big mistake. There is nothing worse than a bunch of greying, balding, slightly tubby middle aged men (mostly) banging on about how great times were “back on the [...]
Sinking supermarkets: Tesco has had a disastrous year. Can it recover? June 18, 2015 The UK’s supermarkets were once investment darlings. The likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s emerged on the stock markets, radically changed our shopping habits and then rose to dominance on the FTSE 100. But times have changed, and the supermarkets have been down on their luck. Are they still worthwhile investments? “Part of the [...]
Sainsbury’s and Tesco ditch Transport for London’s Tube station Click & Collect scheme June 17, 2015 It seems the retail revolution is still a little way off, after supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Tesco ditched a scheme introduced by Transport for London (TfL) to let shoppers collect their groceries at Tube stations. Read more: TfL given the green light to turn its HQ into flats The scheme, introduced amid much pomp and [...]
Ocado’s making robots that will help in the workplace June 10, 2015 The online grocery company Ocado is getting into the robot business as work begins today on developing technology which will become humanoid helpers to workers. The company will work with leading researchers across Europe to combine artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced vision technologies to create robot support worker which can lend a helping hand. [...]