ViiV Healthcare: GSK share price rises as it scraps plans for £17bn HIV drugs spin-off which would have been one of the biggest IPOs this decade May 6, 2015 Pharma giant GSK (aka GlaxoSmithKline) has abandoned plans for an IPO of its HIV medicines division, it said today. In first quarter results published today, the company said its decision to hang on to ViiV Healthcare reflected an "updated strong positive outlook". Analysts at Jefferies have said ViiV could be valued at as much as [...]
Supermarket share: Rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl continues – although Sainsbury’s performs well May 6, 2015 Sales at discounters Aldi and Lidl grew 15 per cent and 10 per cent respectively in the past year, data published this morning shows. On the day Sainsbury's posted its first loss in 10 years, that's significant. More on this story: Sainsbury's reports its first loss in a decade The figures, published by Kantar Worldpanel, [...]
How Sainsbury’s, Tesco and even discounters Aldi and Lidl reined in property expansion plans and ended the supermarket turf wars May 6, 2015 In the never-ending quest for growth, for decades supermarkets held a major arsenal in their weaponry – land. But not any more. Sainsbury's today revealed it took a £682m writedown on its property portfolio in another sign the decades-long land grab by supermarkets has failed to pay off. Tesco's property writedowns run into the billions [...]
Poundland brings forward competition probe into 99p Stores deal May 6, 2015 Bargain store Poundland has bought forward a competition probe into its offer to buy rival 99p Stores for £55m. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) previously said the tie-up could create "a realistic prospect of less competition" in 80 local areas – and an additional 12 areas where they will be competitors in the near future. It said [...]
Wetherspoon is holding its own in the face of the supermarket price war May 6, 2015 It may be at a “great disadvantage” to supermarkets, but JD Wetherspoon still managed to report an increase in sales. The figures In an interim management statement, the company announced like for like sales were up 1.7 per cent in the 13 weeks to 26 April, and 3.6 per cent for the financial year to [...]
General Election 2015: Aberdeen Asset Management boss Martin Gilbert calls for speedy coalition talks May 5, 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management boss Martin Gilbert said party leaders should move fast to form a government if tomorrow’s General Election results in a hung parliament. “The longer it takes, the worse it’s going to be,” Gilbert said yesterday. “Markets don’t like uncertainty.” The FTSE has brushed off fears of political instability in recent weeks with [...]
HSBC boss Stuart Gulliver warns George Osborne or Ed Balls tax hikes could drive bank from UK May 5, 2015 HSBC’S chief executive warned yesterday that the Conservative and Labour parties both risk driving the bank out of the country with tax hikes. The giant lender is looking at moving its headquarters out of the UK after more than 20 years in London, as its global business may be harmed by regulation and taxes. George [...]
Sports Direct allegations leads to shopper snubs on the High Street – Brand Index May 5, 2015 With sales booming and a healthy share price reflecting their success, everything on the surface looks rosy for retail giant Sports Direct. However, a Channel 4 Dispatches programme aired last week made allegations of a far more salacious nature. Workers on controversial zero-hours contracts were said to be shamed over a tannoy system for a [...]
Greene King hit by drink-driving rules in Scotland May 5, 2015 Pub and restaurant group Greene King yesterday blamed recently tightened drink-driving laws in Scotland for flat sales. The company, whose brands include Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale, plus the Hungry Horse and Loch Fyne chains, reported just a 0.4 per cent increase in sales for the 51 weeks to 26 April, but said sales [...]
Election jitters, HSBC and US losses hit FTSE – London Report May 5, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index closed lower yesterday, tracking sharp losses in the US market, with HSBC leading the banking sector lower, after saying that a bank levy was hampering its ability to pay a higher dividend. A survey showing growth in the construction industry slowed sharply in April, while uncertainty about the outcome of tomorrow’s [...]