PepsiCo eyes Russia for growth December 2, 2010 PEPSICO said yesterday it will buy a majority stake in Russian juice and dairy company Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD) for an initial deal price of $3.8bn (£2.43bn) in its most ambitious overseas purchase to date. The deal will make PepsiCo Russia’s largest food and drink maker. PepsiCo plans to buy 66 per cent of the firm. However, [...]
London apartments with classic stylings December 2, 2010 ANYBODY who wanders through the West End for any amount of time is taken with the stunning architecture, but many don’t get the opportunity to stay in these wonderful buildings. The new generation of serviced apartments, however, offers you the chance. These are proving increasingly popular for those who regularly spend time in London for [...]
Star trio turn England 2018 bid around as D-Day arrives December 1, 2010 ENGLAND’S hopes of winning today’s vote to host the 2018 World Cup surged last night after frantic schmoozing and some late hiccups from rival bidders appeared to turn the tide in their favour. A stellar cast of ambassadors including former England captain David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron led an impressive charm [...]
E.ON sells Gazprom stake December 1, 2010 GERMAN energy giant E.ON has sold its 3.5 per cent stake in Russian gas firm Gazprom to market investors and Russia’s state-owned investment bank. Vnesheconombank (VEB) will take a 2.7 per cent stake, while 0.8 per cent has been placed in the market. E.ON said the total proceeds from the sale stood at €3.4bn, resulting [...]
Aegis snaps up Russian rival December 1, 2010 MEDIA group Aegis yesterday expanded its presence in Russia by snapping up a majority stake in the country’s biggest independent market research business. Aegis acquired Comcon through Synovate, its market research group, for an undisclosed amount. According to the terms of the deal, it could acquire the remainder of the business in 2015. Comcon, which [...]
Airbus plans €1bn upgrade of key aircraft December 1, 2010 EUROPEAN planemaker Airbus plans to upgrade its best-selling A320 medium-haul jets from 2016 with new engines offering 15 per cent fuel savings, as it fends off upstart competitors. Airbus said yesterday that it would invest just over €1bn (£840m) in the “A320neo” project to improve efficiency and cut harmful emissions and noise. Until now, Airbus [...]
THE TIPSTER December 1, 2010 Few retail stocks have managed to see their share price recover to the halcyon days of 2007, but Carphone Warehouse has recently achieved that feat with the stock now eyeing the 400p level. Clearly the Christmas season has the potential to bring further cheer for the stock. Furthermore, given the ongoing tide of innovation in [...]
How World Cup 2018 bid works November 30, 2010 Tomorrow England will learn whether years of lobbying and some late schmoozing have paid off Q&A Q. How is the bidding contest decided? A.By a vote among the executive committee (ExCo) of world governing body Fifa, in Zurich tomorrow. Q. How does the vote work? A.The 23 ExCo members cast their votes in a secret [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 30, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES KPMG HIRES NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS FOR NEW OVERSIGHT BODY KPMG Europe has hired three non-executive directors to sit on a new oversight body in a move that highlights the differing ways big audit firms are complying with regulatory changes in the UK. The directors are: Sir Steve Robson, a retired senior civil servant at [...]
Gazprom and Shell put differences aside with new cooperation pact November 30, 2010 RUSSIA’s state-run gas firm Gazprom and Royal Dutch Shell yesterday signed an agreement to work together – despite an acrimonious dispute over the Sakhalin-2 field. The two gas giants have now agreed to cooperate on exploring for oil in western Siberia and Russia’s Far East, as well as on distribution projects in Europe. Only four [...]