Comcast has built up a 30 per cent Sky stake following its auction showdown with Fox on Saturday September 25, 2018 US media titan Comcast this morning confirmed it had bought 30 per cent of shares in British broadcaster Sky so far after winning a dramatic auction for the company against 21st Century Fox on Saturday. In a note to the market, it confirmed it had purchased 515,885,170 shares at its improved offer price of £17.28 per [...]
Analysts warn of Debenhams ‘value trap’ day after launch of turnaround strategy September 25, 2018 Embattled department store chain Debenhams was hoping to ease investor cynicism after launching its new turnaround strategy yesterday, but it seems City analysts are yet to be impressed. Liberum said this morning that “a good store tour doesn’t change our view that this is a value trap”, reiterating its “sell” rating after the retailer [...]
Profit on the cards: Card Factory sees profits rise despite fall in like-for-like sales September 25, 2018 Card Factory hailed a double digit rise in profit today as it was boosted by record sales for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Read more: Heatwave hit retail footfall figures in August The figures The high street retailer saw pre-tax profit grow 17.2 per cent year on year to £27.2m for the [...]
Tesco Bank to face City watchdog’s largest ever cyber security fine September 24, 2018 The banking arm of supermarket chain Tesco could be facing a fine of more than £30m from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), over its role in a cyber hack on its systems in which numerous customer accounts were compromised. Tesco Bank is thought to be contesting the fine in active negotiations with the regulator, which could be reduced [...]
German money rises in West End after Verde deal September 24, 2018 German investment in the West End has reached £515m for the year-to-date on the back of last week's announcement that German fund manager Deka Immobilien GmbH completing one of the largest deals this summer, buying the Verde office building in Victoria for roughly £460m on Friday. The deal pushed investment levels up to £515m, compared with £476m [...]
West End retailers ‘hit by staff shortages’ as property boss urges action on visa rules September 24, 2018 London’s renowned West End retail economy is under threat from staff shortages, according to the boss of one of the area’s largest investment firms. Shaftesbury Group’s chief executive Brian Bickell, whose £3.86bn FTSE 250 property company represents nearly 600 West End businesses, told City A.M. that a combination of tight visa restrictions and uncertainty around EU [...]
Debenhams looks to shore up investor panic with unveiling of its ‘store of the future’ September 24, 2018 Debenhams is gearing up for the unveiling of its “store of the future” later today, as the beleaguered retail giant looks to reassure both shoppers and investors after a challenging summer. The department store chain is also expected to reveal more details of its turnaround plans at the event in Watford today, having denied [...]
French supermarket Carrefour denies making an offer for rival Casino September 24, 2018 French supermarket Casino has claimed it has rejected an offer from rival Carrefour, though Carrefour has denied ever making a bid for the firm. Casino released a statement last night that said its board had unanimously rejected an approach from the retail giant due to potential conflicts over employment and competition. Read more: Tesco reveals budget supermarket chain, Jack's Carrefour, which is [...]
Versace set to walk the runway with rumoured sale ‘within hours’ September 24, 2018 Shares in fashion brand Michael Kors are down more than eight per cent on rumours that it is in talks to buy Versace. Fashion kingpin Versace is rumoured to be “within hours” of being sold, according to Italian news reports which emerged early this morning. Newspaper Corriere della Sera, which has cited unnamed sources, [...]
Gold rush: Barrick Gold to merge with Randgold in $18.3bn deal September 24, 2018 Two of the world’s largest gold producers are set to merge as Canada’s Barrick Gold said it has agreed to buy London-listed Randgold Resources in a shock $18bn (£13.7bn) deal. In plans to create what Barrick Gold and Randgold Resources hailed as an “industry-leading gold company”, the companies will be hoping to cement their [...]