Serco tried to merge with struggling Babcock June 16, 2019 Outsourcing giant Serco has tried twice to merge with its considerably bigger rival Babcock as they both grapple with a tough industry. Serco’s chair, Sir Roy Gardner, reportedly contacted Mike Turner, who heads Babcock’s board, at the end of 2018. Turner rejected the proposal, the Sunday Times reported. However, this did not stop Serco from [...]
Medium-sized businesses power ahead of the pack on overseas revenue growth May 28, 2019 Mid-sized companies are boosting Britain’s revenue growth overseas, driving international turnover by 63 per cent in the last five years, according to research. Read more: Medium-sized businesses lead UK revenue growth overseas New data has revealed that the increase, from £96bn to £157bn, exceeds that of FTSE 350 companies that have seen a 15 per [...]
Serco shares rise as outsourcer seals £178m US Navy contractor buyout May 23, 2019 Serco shares rose eight per cent this morning as the government outsourcer announced it had struck a $225m (£178m) deal to buy a contractor to the US Navy. Read more: Serco seeks to capitalise on Brexit chaos as financial revival continues The FTSE 250 company, which already employs thousands of people in the US working [...]
Mitie’s order book shrinks as outsourcing sector battles ‘undoubted challenges’ March 28, 2019 Mitie’s shares slid this morning as it announced its order book had thinned by around one-tenth in the last year amid tricky conditions for outsourcers. Chief executive Phil Bentley said the decline was part of a shift towards “adding more value and services to our top clients,” as the firm continues to battle headwinds from several [...]
Serco continues overseas push as it pens £61m contract to manage Australian remand centre March 18, 2019 Outsourcer Serco has been tasked with managing an Australian remand centre housing hundreds of prisoners, in a deal worth 115m Australian dollars (£61m). The public sector contractor will manage the centre for at least seven years, with a five-year extension option. Read more: Serco seeks to capitalise on Brexit chaos as financial revival continues Serco’s [...]
Rival outsourcers could buy out Interserve services business as Mitie makes inquiries March 17, 2019 Interserve’s uncertainty continued over the weekend as rivals expressed an interest in buying the most profitable part of its business. It is understood fellow outsourcer Mitie contacted Interserve’s administrator EY over the weekend, as well as a consortium of banks and hedge funds which now own the firm, about buying its support services arm. Read [...]
Capita takes on Brexit work as outsourcer kicks on with ‘radical’ turnaround plan March 14, 2019 Outsourcing giant Capita has admitted it is helping pick up some of the government’s slack in preparing for Brexit, as Whitehall continues scrambling to put contingency plans in place for a possible no-deal scenario. The outsourcer, which specialises in digital and IT-related services, has taken on several contracts, as the 29 March leaving date looms ever [...]
Bank of America Merrill Lynch edges ahead of JP Morgan Cazenove in battle of FTSE 100 brokers March 3, 2019 Bank of America Merrill Lynch has edged ahead of JP Morgan Cazenove to lead the battle for FTSE 100 clients as Wall Street banks continue to dominate corporate broking in the City. Bank of America Merrill Lynch gained two new clients in the blue chip index in the three months to February, giving it a total of [...]
Serco seeks to capitalise on Brexit contract chaos as financial turnaround continues February 21, 2019 Outsourcing giant Serco said it could benefit from Brexit in the coming months if the government “needs help quickly,” raising its sales forecast for the coming year. "If we’re going to take back control, we’re going to need people to do the taking-back and the controlling,” chief executive Rupert Soames told City A.M.. “The government [...]
Serco turnaround boss Soames joins packaging firm DS Smith board February 13, 2019 Rupert Soames, chief executive of outsourcing giant Serco, has joined packaging firm DS Smith as a non-executive director and member of its board. The news buoyed the FTSE 100 packaging supplier’s shares, as the company expects to benefit from the businessman’s “hands-on experience of the UK plc environment. Read more: Serco wins billion-dollar Australian army [...]