A resort that leaves you feeling brand new January 31, 2010 NESTLING in warm Caribbean waters, sun-kissed Antigua washes over you, covers you in sunshine, and leaves you feeling as laid-back as the locals. The island is a prime wedding and honeymoon destination, but is also perfect as a place to turn over a new leaf. I’m used to spending my time off doing as little [...]
Forget Cadbury, entrepreneurs will save UK January 25, 2010 OCCASIONALLY on a Friday night as I review the remains of the week, I wonder why I put myself through it. Last week, one of my portfolio companies nearly hit a wall, and I had to coach the existing investors through their panic to send through an emergency bridge round. Another one of our companies [...]
Embark on an unforgettable winter journey January 17, 2010 SITTING under a palm tree on an idyllic beach starts to sound almost pedestrian when you consider what adventures lie in store for those willing to embrace snow and ice. It’s cold, but winter brings some of the most beautiful landscapes and thrilling activities on earth – from dog sledding in the Arctic Circle to [...]
Roar POWER January 5, 2010 WHEN I returned home from taking this car for a spin around the local area, I found a post-it note stuck to my front door with a message from a friend who lives locally. “Hi V,” it read. “I realised there’s a major flaw with your job. You’re missing out on some of the best [...]
Sports Direct reported to FSA December 21, 2009 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct is understood to have been reported to the Financial Services Authority for allegedly breaking the regulator’s rules in its attempt to buy rival Blacks Leisure. The sports billionaire, who also owns the Premier League’s Newcastle United Football Club, already faces separate investigations by the Office of Fair Trading and the Serious [...]
JJB cautious on Christmas as sales drop December 17, 2009 JJB Sports has reported a 52 per cent plunge in sales in the 20 weeks to 13 December, with the Christmas season failing to reverse its fortunes. The struggling sports retailer has been trying to stage a fight back after it came close to going into administration earlier in the year. But the latest gloomy [...]
JJB sales plunge 52% in “difficult” trading December 17, 2009 JJB sports has reported a 52 per cent plunge in sales in the past six months, with the Christmas season failing to reverse its fortunes. The struggling sports retailer has been trying to stage a fight back after it came close to going into administration earlier in the year. But the latest gloomy figures have [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS December 15, 2009 F&C ASSET MANAGEMENT Singer Capital Markets trimmed estimates on F&C yesterday following a pre-close briefing with the company, to reflect slightly higher variable staff costs. But the broker said the share price remains at a discount within the sector after a year of strong fund performance. It kept its “buy” rating with a target price [...]
THE TIPSTER December 14, 2009 SPORTS retailer Sports Direct is continuing to do well, rising to as high as 110p last week after opening Monday’s trading session at 102p. The stock lost some ground towards the end of the week, but there could be another recovery to come in the run up to Christmas. ShortsandLongs.com has a rolling spread of [...]
SFO in Icelandic bank probe December 13, 2009 THE SERIOUS Fraud Office (SFO) is preparing to announce a formal investigation into collapsed Icelandic banks that operated in the UK. The inquiry, which will examine Kaupthing, Glitnir and Landsbanki, follows months of intelligence gathering by officials at the SFO and is expected to be announced soon. The SFO has been in close touch with [...]