London Report: BT falls on Sky’s sports news as FTSE closes flat June 10, 2014 AFTER two days of gains in which the FTSE 100 moved ever closer to its record high, London’s main share index yesterday dipped slightly as warring pay TV broadcasters dragged on the index. The London market closed on 6873.55, down 1.45 points or 0.02 per cent. BT Group fell 2.36 per cent to 396.50, the [...]
Sports Direct investors attack new bonus plan for Mike Ashley June 9, 2014 Sports Direct shareholders lashed out yesterday, claiming they had not been consulted on the latest proposal for a bonus share scheme that seeks to reward its founder Mike Ashley. The retailer has set out plans for a share programme that would reward Ashley alongside Sports Direct’s 3,000 employees, after shareholders rejected two earlier attempts to [...]
How to master the art of negotiation June 9, 2014 From the “win-win” approach to more unusual strategies, here are some key deal-making tips FEW OF us could forget Cuba Gooding Jr’s infamous line, “Show me the money!” in the 1996 Oscar-winner Jerry Maguire. But most negotiations will require a little more nuance. Even sports agent Leigh Steinberg (on whom Tom Cruise’s eponymous character was [...]
Sports Direct launches third attempt for Mike Ashley bonus June 9, 2014 Sports Direct is initiating a third attempt to award founder Mike Ashley a bonus, after two previous attempts failed due to shareholder opposition. The 2015 bonus share scheme provides for the grant of no-cost options of up to 25m ordinary shares in the company to 3,000 employees, including Ashley. The scheme could be worth £200m. However, [...]
Retailer share prices are crashing. Here’s what you need to know about the sell-off June 5, 2014 An unexpected profit warning from online retailer Asos has investors very worried about the health of the sector generally. Asos shares opened more than 40 per cent lower after it announced that it had been forced to slash its full-year profit margin guidance. The key paragraph comes from CEO Nick Robertson: The resultant higher mix [...]
London Report: FTSE weighed down by poor Tesco numbers June 4, 2014 THE UK’S top equity index fell yesterday weighed down by Tesco after the supermarket retailer posted its biggest quarterly UK sales drop in 40 years. The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed down by 0.3 per cent, or 17.67 points, at 6,818.63 points. Tesco’s 1.4 per cent fall was one of the biggest setbacks for the FTSE, [...]
When will China and India make it to the World Cup Final? One investment bank thinks it has the answer May 28, 2014 China and India may be two of world's rising economic powerhouses but when it comes to the beautiful game, these giants of the global economy are nowhere to be seen. How long will be until the two countries which account for over a third of the planet's population make it to a World Cup final? [...]
Pedalling his wares May 18, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks to Simon Mottram, founder of premium cycle clothing and accessories brand Rapha IT’S A dilemma faced by the 1.9m professionals now cycling to work every day. Wear a suit, and you risk tears, discomfort and heat exhaustion. Wear lycra and you could be sacrificing style for comfort. But as the number of [...]
Godzilla thunders back onto screens May 15, 2014 FILM GODZILLA Cert 12a | By Alex Dymoke Three Stars SKYSCRAPERS haven’t come in for this much abuse since Prince Charles started sounding off about contemporary architecture. Brit director Gareth Edwards’ take on the classic Japanese B-movie doesn’t so much reimagine the original as inject it with growth hormones. It’s a monster of a monster [...]
Mike Ashley in talks to buy 33 LA Fitness sites May 14, 2014 SPORTS Direct’s billionaire owner Mike Ashley has set his sights on expanding into the health and leisure industry, with plans to buy 33 sites from LA Fitness. The health club chain confirmed yesterday that it was in talks with the Newcastle United football club owner over the 33 sites, which had been put up for [...]