Adidas sees a rebound after World Cup boosts its first-half sales figures August 4, 2010 ADIDAS yesterday raised its profit forecasts after the World Cup fuelled a retail sales lift of 20 per cent in the first half of the year. The world’s second biggest sporting goods maker after Nike, said it expects full-year net profit of €520m (£430m) to €550m. Adidas supplied the Jabulani World Cup match balls and [...]
Blues edge closer to £17m Ramires deal August 3, 2010 CHELSEA are set to unveil Brazilian star Ramires as their new £17m signing today. The 23-year-old midfield ace will undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge this morning after the Premier League champions agreed a deal with Portuguese club Benfica. Right-sided Ramires, who has 16 caps for Brazil, is expected to put pen-to-paper on a four-year [...]
Sports Direct in profit rise July 22, 2010 FOOTBALL fans buying personalised shirts and other World Cup gear, helped to fuel a 50 per cent profit rise for Sports Direct. The retailer celebrated its strongest-ever trading on the day of the England versus USA game. The company said World Cup demand helped it maintain the sales trends that saw post and annual pre-tax-profit [...]
Sports Direct profit surges by 50pc July 22, 2010 BRITAIN’S biggest sporting goods retailer Sports Direct hit forecasts with a 50 per cent rise in annual profit and predicted more growth in the 2010-11 year. “We believe we are operationally stronger than ever,” chief executive Dave Forsey said. “Accordingly, and assuming no significant deterioration in economic conditions, we are targeting underlying EBITDA (earnings before [...]
£97,000 worth of fun July 13, 2010 THE reason that Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage is so well-loved is all to do with a little valve in the exhaust system. Around town and driving normally, the V8 Vantage delivers the usual Aston Martin contemplative serenity, but under full acceleration the V8 Vantage makes the most fantastically hellish noise as the valve opens up. [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS June 24, 2010 PAY BY CARD TO GAIN REWARDS Savvy shoppers could earn substantial rewards by whacking all their day-to-day spending on the plastic. Based on an average household spend of £386.30 per week on a reward credit card, and by paying off the balance in full each month, Confused.com research shows after just one year, some of [...]
Apollo weighs higher Brit bid June 13, 2010 BRIT INSURANCE, the Lloyd’s of London outfit, has its largest investors’ backing to demand an improved takeover offer from US private equity giant Apollo, City A.M. understands. The FTSE 250-listed insurer on Friday knocked back a cash approach from Apollo worth £785m, or 1,000p per share, arguing it “significantly undervalues” the company. Apollo was last [...]
THE TIPSTER June 13, 2010 FOOTBALL results might be capturing everybody’s attention at the moment but there are some key financial scores out this week. Following positive full-year results in March, grocer J Sainsbury is expected to announce first quarter profits this week. Will its management confirm Morrisons’ news that a slowdown in the market has begun? With the firm’s [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 23, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES PRINCE ANDREW’S TRADE ROLE DEFENDED Buckingham Palace defended Prince Andrew’s globetrotting role promoting British business on Sunday after a newspaper sting appeared to show his former wife selling access to him for £500,000, offered by a reporter posing as a tycoon. Both the royal household and the government said the Duke of York’s [...]
Stylish, affordable new homes for a brave green world May 20, 2010 THE UK is committed to ensuring that all new homes meet an ambitious zero-carbon standard by 2016. And with only a smattering of them in the country to date, there’s a long way to go. Indeed, Barry Morgan, of Morgan Restoration, an ardent eco-developer who has just installed solar panels on The Boatyard development overlooking [...]