World’s 500 biggest firms guilty of carbon footprints September 19, 2010 THE WORLD’S 500 largest companies are responsible for more than 10 per cent of global emissions, new research by the Carbon Disclosure Project has found. Figures show that the world’s largest businesses contribute 11 per cent of global emissions. Roughly 65 per cent of these companies have implemented carbon emission reduction targets but a meagre [...]
The Co-op boss who is on a mission to rejuvenate an iconic organisation September 19, 2010 IT IS EASY to see why Co-operative Group chief executive Peter Marks is so excited about the new £180m head office that will open on a 20-acre site in the centre of Manchester in 2012. The current 1960s 13-storey building across the road seems to be made almost entirely of linoleum and plywood. I have [...]
Robert Wiseman warns on profit as price war hits September 16, 2010 Robert Wiseman Dairies yesterday said it expected stiff competition to hurt its operating profits for the second half and next year, sending the shares down by nearly a third. The company that procures, processes and delivers milk to customers across the UK forecast second-half operating profit falling by around £7m and by £16m in 2012. [...]
Margins too tight to bear September 16, 2010 THE British dairy market is notoriously competitive, but investors were not prepared for yesterday’s shock profit warning from Robert Wiseman. Although its first-half numbers are in line, the second half is going to turn sour. Full-year profits are now forecast to be £7m lower than thought. A crushing round of price negotiations with Tesco is [...]
TITANS OF BUSINESS SET TO CLASH AT GOODWOOD REVIVAL FESTIVAL September 16, 2010 THE LOVE affair between businessmen and their fast cars is certainly alive and kicking. This weekend marks the Goodwood Revival historic motorsport and aviation festival, as over 132,000 attendees prepare to head down to Sussex for two days of immersion in classic cars and planes. And The Capitalist hears that among those competing on the [...]
A farmer’s work is never done September 16, 2010 ANYONE who watched Channel 4’s Young Black Farmers series will remember Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones. He brands himself “The Black Farmer”, the entrepreneur behind the gluten-free food range of the same name. He lives between his London office, his Devon farm and his Wiltshire home where he stood as the Conservative party candidate earlier this year. Born [...]
Commodities drag FTSE 100 down as US output eases September 15, 2010 COMMODITY stocks pulled Britain’s top shares lower yesterday as US data showed a sharp slowdown in industrial output, and after investors switched into the dollar after The Bank of Japan’s yen intervention and recent sharp gains. The FTSE 100 index closed down 11.85 points, or 0.2 per cent at 5,555.56, snapping a five session winning [...]
THE PEOPLE’S SUPERMARKET September 15, 2010 TESCO chief executive Sir Terry Leahy was on hand at the Economist Emerging Markets Summit in London yesterday to hear his designated successor Philip Clarke predict China will become profitable for the retailer during his tenure. The supermarket giant is planning to invest around £2bn into developing shopping malls in the People’s Republic.
New trading director hired to steer JJB September 15, 2010 JJB Sports has appointed Ben Sherman international retail director Kate Hayes as its trading director to nurse it back to health. Hayes will work alongside retail director Ron Rome and HR and training director Paul Mitford. She will join the retailer on 1 November and will be based at its Retail Support Centre in Wigan. [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 15, 2010 ARM Execution Noble thinks it’s time for a breather on the technology company, and downgrades the stock to a “sell” with a fair value of 300p. The broker says that ARM remains well placed to outperform the semi-conductor industry, and will continue to expand into new end markets, but the current value of 29 times [...]