Walmart’s China boss Sean Clarke set to become Asda’s next CEO June 12, 2016 Walmart is set to name Sean Clarke, the retailer's boss of its Chinese operations, as Asda's new CEO. The Big Four supermarket chain's parent company could make an announcement as early as this week, Sky News reported. The news comes after current boss Andy Clarke confirmed in an interview with Retail week last week that he's going to [...]
EU referendum: BT to write joint memo with unions to warn of Brexit risks June 12, 2016 BT and a number of trade unions are to band together in warning its staff on the risks of leaving the European Union. The FTSE 100 company, along with unions representing tens of thousands of its workers, will sign off on a joint memo explaining the rationale behind their support of the EU. "We believe [...]
How landlords are softening the blow of buy to let tax changes June 10, 2016 The government's tax changes on second homes has produced a record demand for mortgages through companies in the first quarter of 2016, according to a report released today. Buy to let lending to limited companies surged to nearly 38,000 in the first quarter, which is more than for the whole of 2014, as landlords incorporate to [...]
British Bankers’ Association set to merge with rival trade associations June 9, 2016 British Bankers' Association (BBA), the trade body that was heavily criticised for its role as the administrator of the Libor interest rate benchmark, is expected to be merged with its rival associations. According to Sky News, BBA members are reportedly set to vote in favour of plans to merge the banking trade bodies to form a [...]
At the close: FTSE falls as miners give up gains June 9, 2016 The FTSE 100 lost ground today as miners slumped. A fall in the oil price, as well as disappointing numbers out of China, meant the blue-chip index snapped its four-day winning streak. The FTSE finished at 6,231.89, down by 1.1 per cent. The FTSE 100 had risen in its previous four sessions. US stocks also dragged as investors worried [...]
Euro 2016: How Charlton’s Johann Gudmundsson and QPR’s Conor Washington will handle underdog status for Iceland and Northern Ireland June 9, 2016 English football fans will not have to look too hard to find a familiar face at the European Championships, with a quarter of players present plying their trade on these shores. The opulent and cosmopolitan Premier League is the best-represented competition in the world at Euro 2016 and its stars will be at home in [...]
Vodafone NZ and Sky Network in telecoms and TV tie-up to compete with the likes of Netflix June 9, 2016 Global telecoms group Vodafone is merging its New Zealand unit with the country's largest provider of pay TV, Sky Network Television. The deal, worth £1.7bn, is in response to growing competition in the country from the likes of Netflix and other internet streaming services and will create one of the biggest companies on the New Zealand Stock [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open June 9, 2016 South Korea has unexpectedly cut its interest rates, while New Zealand's central bank remains on hold. In China consumer prices rose less than expected, muting economist hopes that the economy is stabilising earlier in the week. Here's what you need to know before the US markets open at 2:30pm London time. US futures are pointing downwards. The S&P is [...]
Food billionaire Ranjit Boparan set to buy Tesco’s Giraffe restaurants June 8, 2016 Ranjit Boparan, owner of Harry Ramsden's restaurants, is set to buy Giraffe from Tesco. Sky News reports the food tycoon's private investment vehicle Boparan Ventures, which also owns London-based chain Fishworks, is snapping up the restaurant chain for a "modest sum". Boparan, whose known to be worth £1.35bn, is the founder of Britain's biggest chicken supplier 2 Sisters Food Group. Read [...]
Every little helps: Tesco to sell Giraffe chain and Turkish interests in bid to offload underperforming assets June 7, 2016 Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco is set to sell its Kipa chain in Turkey and Giraffe restaurants in the UK. The sale of Kipa, that Tesco acquired in 2013, is likely to raise "a couple of hundred million pounds", an analyst told Sky News, while an unnamed family-owned investment group is interested in snapping up Giraffe. Tesco bought Giraffe [...]