Ryanair (RYA) share price rises as profits soar but airline gives pessimistic forecast on higher costs as Brexit shareholder shake-up takes off May 21, 2018 Low-cost carrier Ryanair has reported soaring annual profits this morning, but has warned its earnings will fall back in the next year due to higher costs and flat fares. It has also given more insight into its Brexit preparations, with the airline saying it remains concerned at the “likely impact” of a hard Brexit. It [...]
City analysts say there’s more M&A activity on the horizon May 21, 2018 Equity markets nearing all-time record highs, interest rates still low and a weak pound have created a cauldron for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that analysts anticipate continuing while current market conditions persist. Two FTSE 100 companies have already been acquired this year, a third looks set to go and with two more facing bids, 2018 [...]
Marks & Spencer in talks with top Dixons Carphone exec to bolster retail expertise May 19, 2018 Marks & Spencer is reportedly in talks with a top Dixons Carphone exec as the troubled retailer seeks to shake-up its board. Katie Bickerstaffe, who recently stepped down as chief executive of Dixons Carphone UK and Ireland, has held discussions about joining M&S as a non-exec director. M&S is facing the risk of a landmark [...]
James Murdoch’s Tesla board position under threat amid ‘overboarded’ claims May 19, 2018 Media tycoon James Murdoch is facing calls to step down as a Tesla non-executive amid fears he is “overboarded”. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the world’s largest proxy adviser, is recommending shareholders vote against the reappointment of Murdoch – son of billionaire mogul Rupert – and fellow board member Antonio Gracias. In addition, ISS has sided [...]
EU official Henrik Hololei sounds warning on post-Brexit flights as time is ticking to secure a deal May 18, 2018 A European Union official has warned that time is ticking on sorting out the arrangement for post-Brexit flights between Britain and the bloc, Henrik Hololei, the director general for mobility and transport at the European Commission, said the effects on the aviation industry could be significant after 29 March, when Britain is set to leave [...]
PayPal in talks for $2.2bn takeover of iZettle May 17, 2018 PayPal is preparing to take over Swedish payments app iZettle, just a week after it announced plans to float. An announcement of the $2bn deal is expected as early as tomorrow, after Sky News reported that the two companies were in talks. The price PayPal is thought to be bidding would value iZettle at double [...]
Rail nationalisation? It’s time Britain got on with a real privatisation instead May 17, 2018 Returning the east coast mainline to public ownership yesterday prompted the inevitable calls for full renationalisation of Britain’s rail network. As transport secretary Chris Grayling demanded Stagecoach hand back the keys, trainspotters purred at the prospect of the resurrection of the London and Northern Eastern Railway (LNER) livery. Meanwhile, the unions hailed the removal of [...]
Standard Life Aberdeen boss Martin Gilbert takes Glencore leave of absence to concentrate on ‘protracted Sky takeover’ May 16, 2018 City bigwig Martin Gilbert is taking a leave of absence from the board of mining giant Glencore as he concentrates on another one of his heavy-hitting roles – as deputy chair of takeover target Sky. The co-chief executive of Standard Life Aberdeen will be replaced as Glencore’s audit and remuneration committee chair by Patrice Merrin. [...]
Bet your bottom dollar: UK bookies are up after a US court ruling slapped down PASPA May 14, 2018 Shares in the UK’s gambling firms are soaring after a US court ruling struck down a decades-long restriction on sports betting. The US Supreme Court today ruled in favour of the state of New Jersey, effectively killing the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). US states can now establish their own regulated sports betting, [...]
Carillion hid true level of debt and used late payment to prop up its ‘failing’ business say MPs May 14, 2018 Collapsed outsourcer Carillion hid its debt and used late payment to its suppliers to prop up its balance sheet, MPs have said today. Ahead of the launch of the final report into Carillion’s collapse on Wednesday, the work and pensions and business, energy & industrial strategy (BEIS) committees are today publishing evidence from bank Santander [...]