Strong results for Sports Direct as clothes shop Republic catapults profit October 23, 2013 Sport Direct International has announced a 15.1 per cent sales increase for the nine weeks to 29 September, with gross profit up 19.4 per cent to £199.8m (from £167.4m like-for-like). (Release) The buying up of clothes shop Republic back in February saw Premium lifestyle sales soar in the period – sales and gross profit from [...]
London Report: GDP figures and housing prices reveal recovery October 20, 2013 GROSS domestic product (GDP) figures due on Friday are expected to reveal the UK’s solid recovery prospects, coupled with further good news from Nationwide and Rightmove housing figures earlier in the week. Analysts predict further improvement in the economy, with third quarter GDP expected to rise. “We expect GDP to rise 0.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. [...]
Fans stampede for tickets after qualifying win October 16, 2013 ENGLAND supporters have scrambled to find flights and tour packages for the World Cup since Tuesday’s win over Poland confirmed their place at next summer’s tournament in Brazil. Tour operator Thomson Sport said more customers had booked its packages in the hours immediately following the match than in the entire previous month. It added that [...]
Sport Comment: You’re giving us hope, Roy, and we don’t want it October 16, 2013 IT’S NOT the despair. I can stand the despair; it’s the hope, John Cleese once wailed. As, no doubt, have countless England supporters, judging by the current collective cautiousness. Because England seems fairly unanimous. We are not being lured into the trap of getting excited about next summer’s World Cup just because Roy Hodgson’s men [...]
Sky Movies deal pushes TV rivals closer together October 14, 2013 BT FINALLY inked a deal with Sky yesterday to show its premium Sky Movies channels on BT’s TV packages following three years of negotiations. Though talks between the media giants to allow Sky Sports content across all of BT’s TV offerings remain ongoing, the Sky Movies deal could indicate Sky is more willing to negotiate [...]
London Report: FTSE hit by US debt and weak sales in China October 7, 2013 BRITAIN’S main share index fell yesterday, with broad sentiment bruised by political stalemate over the US debt ceiling, and with luxury goods group Burberry hit by concerns over a slowdown in its sales in China. The US government moved into a second week of shutdown, raising the risk that a compromise will not be reached [...]
You don’t need snow to have fun in Haute Savoie October 6, 2013 Savoie Mont Blanc in France is famous for its winter sports but it’s worth checking out all year FOR winter skiing in Haute Savoie, it always pays to put in a little training. Off-season trips, it turns out, require some preparation too: increase wine consumption in the weeks preceding; swap to elasticated trousers to allow [...]
Sports Direct chiefs take home £13m in share bonus winnings October 3, 2013 SPORTS Direct shares lost their shine yesterday after two senior bosses opted to cash in on £13m worth of shares. Chief executive Dave Forsey and finance director Bob Mellors both exercised 2010 bonus scheme options to acquire 1m shares each before immediately selling 950,000 each at 680p a share. The two directors, who earn a [...]
Hochschild Mining plans to buy remaining Peru assets for £172m October 2, 2013 FTSE 250-listed Hochschild Mining said yesterday it plans to raise up to $96m (£59m) through an equity placing to help it buy the remaining 40 per cent stakes in its Peruvian assets for $280m. The Latin America-focused precious metals miner said it has agreed to buy the 40 per cent stakes held by International Mineral [...]
Inside Track: London is ready and waiting for the Royal Mail flotation September 24, 2013 THE FORTHCOMING privatisation of Royal Mail is the biggest post-financial crisis test so far of the market for new issues in London, which was virtually closed for business just a couple of years ago. In the years following the financial crisis, London became a notoriously difficult place on which to list shares in a new [...]