Chief executives earn trust with honest answers March 12, 2012 WHEN Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF, recently gave an interview, he knew that trust in energy companies was at an all-time low. The interview was the perfect opportunity to start rebuilding it. So he mentioned “trust” – 61 times in fact – and little else. Unsurprisingly he was pilloried. EDF will wrongly blame [...]
WM Morrison aided by hunt for bargains March 8, 2012 A NEW breed of super shopper is hunting down bargains and posting tips on social networks, supermarket chain WM Morrison said yesterday. The chain, the UK’s fourth largest grocer, yesterday reported a profit of £947m in 2011 – up 8.4 per cent on the previous year. Chief executive Dalton Philips attributed some of the gains [...]
Morrisons profit up – but predicts tough 2012 March 8, 2012 Britain’s fourth-biggest grocer Wm Morrison said the UK grocery market was likely to remain subdued in the coming year despite easing inflationary pressures as it posted a eight per cent rise in year profit. “We expect a challenging year in 2012,” the firm said on Thursday, adding that it still expected to deliver profitable growth. [...]
Apple can even generate buzz with no product March 6, 2012 APPLE’S new iPad has had an impact even before it is unveiled. The product’s overall Buzz score on YouGov’s BrandIndex has increased by two points since the announcement of its release less than a week ago. Looking at longer term trends over the last year, we have seen the uninterrupted rise in its recommend scores [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 5, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES REGULATORS CONSIDER AN OVERHAUL OF LIBOR UK regulators and global banks are discussing a potentially far-reaching overhaul of the calculation and regulation of interbank lending rates, amid claims that the benchmark for $350 trillion contracts worldwide may have been subject to manipulation. STARBUCKS TAKES COFFEE WARS TO NESPRESSO Coffee capsule wars are set [...]
Tesco defends pledge of 20,000 new jobs as it pursues Eastern dreams with property fund float March 5, 2012 THE head of Tesco’s British business defended the chain’s pledge of 20,000 new jobs yesterday, following analysts’ claims that supermarkets inflate their figures. Richard Brasher said the hiring plan represented “real net new jobs” after the retailer, Britain’s largest, said it could not yet give figures for the split of full and part-time positions. More [...]
Top brands pay best dividend March 5, 2012 Trusted brands known and used in every household in the UK were among some of the most consistent, dividend yielding stocks over the past year, according to research by Indixs. The UK Dividend Achievers Index listed the most consistent dividend paying stocks and found that consumer brands such as SABMiller, Diageo, Unilever, British American Tobacco [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 4, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES EU TO PUSH QUOTA FOR WOMEN DIRECTORS The EU’s executive is to press ahead with plans for quotas to increase the proportion of women on corporate boards, triggering a protracted fight between Brussels and national governments. Viviane Reding, justice commissioner, will announce the first step towards European-level legislation, a year after she threatened [...]
20,000 MORE UK JOBS FOR TESCO March 4, 2012 TESCO unveiled plans yesterday to hire 20,000 new staff over the next two years as part of the supermarket’s efforts to revive its UK business. The UK’s biggest retailer, led by Phil Clarke, said it will invest significantly in additional staff hours and training to boost the customer experience. Tesco said the jobs are the [...]
RESPONSES TO THE KAY REVIEW INTO SHORT-TERMISM February 29, 2012 STEPHEN HADDRILL FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL Quarterly reporting adds little by way of new information and can be easily manipulated, but it does provide a regular short-term trading opportunity, and, given the continuing requirement on companies for timely disclosure of market sensitive information, we support its abolition. SIR TERRY LEAHY FORMER TESCO CHIEF EXECUTIVE Sir Terry [...]