Inflation on the way up again as energy bills and tuition fees strike November 11, 2012 INFLATION will be back in the spotlight tomorrow when official figures are released, followed by the Bank of England’s quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday. While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 2.2 per cent in September, it is expected to increase again due to rising tuition and energy bills. “We expect the CPI to [...]
G4S loses out as coalition rows back on prison deals November 8, 2012 OUTSOURCING giant G4S has lost its contract to run Wolds prison and failed to make the shortlist to oversee several other jails, as the government backtracked on plans for more competitive justice operations. The Ministry of Justice revealed yesterday that G4S will hand over the category C jail in Hull in July 2013 after 21 [...]
Serco buys out Oz maritime firm November 7, 2012 Services firm Serco has agreed to buy the remaining 50 per cent stake in Australian defence and marine services firm DMS Maritime for A$106m (£68m) in cash. Serco said the deal with one of Australia’s largest maritime service operators would strengthen its position as a defence services provider in the country.
Serco wins £170m pensions deal October 29, 2012 Outsourcing firm Serco, which runs the Docklands Light Railway, yesterday secured its first pensions deal. Serco, which also runs the Boris bikes scheme, will provide back office support services for life and pensions company Aegon in a deal worth £170m over the ten-year term. It will also manage some of Aegon’s so called “zombie” funds, [...]
Serco confident despite drop in first-half profit August 29, 2012 BRITISH outsourcing group Serco said yesterday a raft of recent contract wins would help it to strong full-year revenue growth, after reorganisation costs and continued delays in the award of US federal work pushed first-half profit down 17 per cent. The flow of much-anticipated public sector work in Serco’s core British market, which represents around [...]
Serco profit hit by reshuffle and slow US market August 29, 2012 Outsourcing group Serco said recent contract wins would help it deliver a strong full-year performance, after reorganisation costs and delays in the award of US federal work pushed first half profit down 17 per cent. The British firm, which runs services from London’s light rail to prisons and air traffic control centres around the world, [...]
London report August 27, 2012 MARKET watchers will be looking to tomorrow’s Nationwide house prices report and mortgage approvals on Thursday to gauge whether the UK’s economy is pulling out of its double dip. Recent data put the number of mortgage approvals at a 15-year low and last month house prices had fallen by 0.7 per cent and 2.6 per [...]
BEST of the BROKERS August 8, 2012 SERCO UBS has moved its rating on the firm from “buy” to “neutral” with a target price of £6, after a strong share price performance, remaining upbeat on the UK and Europe but less optimistic on the US business. NATIONAL GRID Liberum Capital has upgraded the utility from “hold” to “buy” with a raised target [...]
Engineering firm Weir tops list of most shorted stocks July 30, 2012 ENGINEERING firm Weir Group remains by far the most shorted stock in the FTSE 100 according to data released today, suggesting investors continue to feel unease over the firm’s exposure to the US gas fracking industry. Figures from Markit, the financial information provider, show Weir’s stock is three times more shorted than outsourcing firm Serco, [...]
Serco offloads German unit to look for growth July 2, 2012 OUTSOURCER Serco yesterday announced that it was disposing of the majority of its German interests in pursuit of growth elsewhere. The FTSE 100 company said the local management team would take over the German business. Serco sees little chance to extend revenues in Germany and is to focus its efforts on other territories. But the [...]