BT raises forecast after broadband boost November 11, 2010 BT has raised its full-year core earnings outlook after posting better-than-expected second quarter results boosted by demand for broadband and its Global Services unit. It now expects to post full-year adjusted core earnings of around £5.8bn, compared with a previous pledge to perform in line with the year before which achieved earnings of £5.6bn. Britain’s [...]
Sky hits 10m subscribers November 8, 2010 BSKYB issued a statement of intent to potential bidder News Corp yesterday when it announced it has broken through the 10m subscribers barrier. With Sky’s board said to be determined to play hardball with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, its swelling subscriber base will prove a powerful bargaining tool. But analysts are already questioning how far [...]
BSkyB hits 10m customer target November 8, 2010 BSkyB has hit its long-held aim of 10 million customers, making it the choice of 36 per cent of households in the UK and Ireland. BSkyB, which provides pay-TV, broadband and telephony, set the target in 2004, to initial scepticism from analysts who thought it would be too tough. “To be the choice of 10 [...]
Murdoch’s Sky bill soars November 7, 2010 NEWS Corp may have to pay up to 870p a share to regain control of BSkyB, with industry sources claiming resolve at board level has toughened over the last week. This would value Sky at a staggering £15.2bn – a full £3bn above the price News Corp bid in June. Shares in Sky jumped more [...]
Government to back Diageo China bid November 7, 2010 THE government will throw its weight behind Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh this week as the drinks giant bids for a controlling stake in one of China’s biggest spirits-makers. Diageo is awaiting clearance for the bid from Chinese authorities, with foreign takeovers usually viewed in a critical light. The coalition-led trade group arriving in China [...]
Dudley could cut dividends at BP by half November 7, 2010 OIL giant BP is seriously considering halving its dividend once it resumes payments to shareholders, according to people close to the company and news reports over the weekend. New chief executive Bob Dudley has privately briefed shareholders about his plans to reduce the dividend, and is plotting as much as a 50 per cent cut, [...]
Sunday could be the day to take on Blues November 5, 2010 LIVERPOOL v/s CHELSEA SUNDAY, 4.00PM, SKY SPORTS THERE is only one point separating Blackburn and Wigan towards the bottom of the table and both clubs will be preparing themselves for another long, hard relegation struggle. This is far from the most exciting fixture of the weekend, but that doesn’t matter if a good bet can [...]
England can impress in Investec Series opener November 5, 2010 ENGLAND vs NEW ZEALAND TOMORROW, 2.00PM, SKY SPORTS Martin Johnson gets the chance to show how his England team have progressed since their excellent 21-20 victory over Australia in June, as the autumn internationals get underway tomorrow at Twickenham. England face the toughest possible opener against the All Blacks, who will be seething after they [...]
Peacocks sale is called off November 5, 2010 The owners of Peacocks, the discount fashion retailer, have called off talks to sell the company after prospective buyers opted against stumping up the £500m price tag, according to Sky News. Bain Capital and Blackstone, the two remaining bidders for the company, have decided not to make formal offers after indicating that they were not [...]
News Corp is facing long Sky bid delay November 5, 2010 RUPERT Murdoch was yesterday assessing how much damage a probe into his proposed bid to bring BSkyB back under the News Corp umbrella could cause. Business secretary Vince Cable stepped in to order a preliminary investigation into the bid by media watchdog Ofcom, with a full EU probe also on the cards. At the very [...]