Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One doubles its profit to £2.4m but revenues fall November 18, 2014 Entertainment One, the company behind Peppa Pig, yesterday said it was confident in producing profit growth in line with full-year expectations as it forecast improvements in film box office performance. Its forecast came despite weaker film revenues offsetting growth in television in its first half. The FTSE 250-listed company posted a pre-tax profit of £2.4m, [...]
In full: Alex Salmond’s final speech as Scottish first minister November 18, 2014 Alex Salmond made his final statement as first minister to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, bringing to a close seven and a half years leading his country. Salmond opened his speech by saying that holding the post of first minister had been "the privilege of my life", adding that "better days" lie ahead for [...]
M&S poaches John Lewis finance director Helen Weir November 17, 2014 Marks & Spencer has appointed John Lewis finance director Helen Weir as its own chief financial officer. In a statement posted this afternoon, the retailer said Weir has yet to confirm a start date. M&S' previous finance director, Alan Stewart, left suddenly in September to take up his new role at Tesco several months earlier [...]
Thinking bigger: My Voucher Codes founder Mark Pearson talks Fern Britton and young tech entrepreneurs November 16, 2014 While we’re talking, it suddenly dawns on Mark Pearson that it’s his company’s eighth birthday. “It’s definitely around now,” he laughs, raising his empty plastic water cup in the air. In June of this year, Pearson sold My Voucher Codes, as part of his parent company Markco Media, to global mobile money technology provider [...]
“Facebook at Work”: The social media site could be about to take over your office November 16, 2014 Facebook is reportedly developing a version of its website designed for use in the workplace. “Facebook at Work” will be a purely professional version of the social network stripped of the embarrassing photos and cute cat videos on your personal page. According to reports in the Financial Times (who quote an anonymous source [...]
GDP estimates: Germany avoids recession while France surprises calming Eurozone fears November 14, 2014 Germany has avoided sliding into recession, as the economy grew 0.1 per cent in the third quarter, while France reported surprise growth of 0.3 per cent ahead of expectations. The latest GDP estimates calm fears over the stagnating Eurozone economy and reverse the previous quarter’s trend when the German economy shrank and France became stagnant. [...]
2014 City A.M. awards: Legal & General CEO Nigel Wilson is the insurance boss with big ideas November 13, 2014 The Legal & General chief exec, City A.M.’s Business Personality of the Year. His hero is Aneurin Bevan, the firebrand post-war Labour minister and architect of the NHS. His career was inspired by a quotation from political theorist Sir Isaiah Berlin on the importance of searching after the common good. And when I meet [...]
Great Portland to start £500m building spree November 13, 2014 WEST End developer Great Portland Estates (GPE) said yesterday it would splurge £500m on its development pipeline as it looked to take advantage of London’s booming office market. The FTSE 250 property firm beat analyst expectations as it posted an 11.8 per cent rise in net asset value per share to 636p in the six [...]
Burberry 2014 Christmas campaign launched as profits hurt by foreign exchange loss November 12, 2014 Burberry yesterday brushed off concerns over foreign exchange movements, saying it expected the effects to wear off in the next six months after taking its toll on first-half profit. The luxury fashion group posted a six per cent rise in underlying profit to £152m in the six months to 30 September. But [...]
Aviva Investors’ Euan Munro on why markets will see more Wobbly Wednesdays November 11, 2014 It’s lunchtime at Aviva Investors’ offices at No.1 Poultry, but the three platters of fish, meat and vegetable sandwiches supplied by catering lie untouched on the table. Euan Munro, chief executive of the fund management house, is sitting drinking full fat Coca-Cola from a glass, while the pungent aroma of the Coq d’Argent restaurant upstairs [...]