International growth drives Hayes profits up by 50pc September 1, 2011 Recruiter Hays said it would continue to focus on international markets, where strong demand helped deliver a 50 per cent rise in its full-year profit, in the face of slowing growth in the UK’s private sector. Hays, which specialises in placing office workers such as accountants and secretaries, on Thursday posted pretax profit before exceptional [...]
Aer Lingus upgrades full year outlook August 31, 2011 IRISH airline Aer Lingus saw a surge in second quarter profits but blamed the effects of industrial action by its cabin crew for overall losses in the first half of the year. The airline, which is owned in part by the Irish government and Ryanair, posted an operating loss of almost €28m (£24.6m) in the [...]
HOW JAMES MURDOCH CAN TRUMP BROOKS’S August 31, 2011 GOOD NEWS for anyone looking forward to joining James Murdoch at the bar of the prestigious gentlemen’s club Brooks’s, as its secretary Graham Snell has confirmed all is not yet lost for the News Corp heir’s membership application. As those of you who read The Capitalist’s original story on 9 August will recall, things were [...]
Regus profits up as sales grow August 30, 2011 Office space supplier Regus expects further improvements in its sales after it posted a 34 per cent rise in first-half adjusted pre-tax profit on a pick up in demand from big businesses for temporary space amid economic uncertainties. Luxembourg-headquartered Regus, which offers ready-to-use offices for rentals as short as half a day, said on Tuesday [...]
INM profit falls 6pc August 26, 2011 Publishing group Independent News & Media posted a six per cent year-on-year fall in operating profit for the first half of the year, despite cutting costs and paying back debt, after advertising and consumer markets remained “remarkably tough.” The Dublin-based group, nearly 50 per cent owned by former bondholders, is focussing on media markets in [...]
Grim reading at Johnston as profits fall August 25, 2011 NEWSPAPER publisher Johnston Press only needs to focus on repaying around a third of its £370m debt pile, according to outgoing chief executive John Fry. The group, which announced a slump in first-half pre-tax profits, said it would continue to cut costs by simplifying processes and consolidating back-office functions as the economic outlook remained grim [...]
Amec enjoys boost despite North Sea tax August 25, 2011 AMEC, the engineering and support services group, said a surge of activity in the North Sea oil fields and growth in the mining and renewables sectors helped it post higher first-half core earnings and bolstered its order book. Samir Brikho, Amec’s chief executive said the UK government’s North Sea tax raid announced in the March [...]
BOOM-TIME FOR BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY August 24, 2011 MARGARET Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady, starring Meryl Streep (pictured) as the lead, helped push film studios owner Pinewood Shepperton to a 68 per cent rise in film revenue. The firm, in which Peel Holdings acquired a majority stake earlier this year, has seen such a surge in demand for movie studio space it has [...]
Admiral hit by growth fears despite gains August 24, 2011 CAR insurance group Admiral shrugged off fears over the UK economy to post further double-digit profit and turnover gains in the first half of the year, but saw its share price slide due to fears over its business model. Admiral, which owns the price comparison site confused.com, said its pre-tax profit jumped 27 per cent, [...]
Derwent boss bullish about London rents August 24, 2011 SPENDING cuts are not hitting the capital’s commercial rental market, according to the chief executive of developer Derwent London. John Burns also said that global economic uncertainty had failed to hurt deals for offices in the firm’s West End heartland. He was speaking as Derwent reported a strong first-half rise in asset values and a [...]