Aviva merger target Friends Life eyed up deal with closed insurance group Phoenix November 25, 2014 Friends Life, which is in merger talks with Aviva, has held informal talks with Phoenix, the closed insurance group, about a possible deal in the past few months, City A.M. understands. News of the talks between the two groups, which are not ongoing and did not reach any conclusion, come as Aviva struggles to convince [...]
AO World eyeing Europe for new growth markets November 25, 2014 ONLINE white goods retailer AO World is eyeing up Belgium and the Netherlands after building out its infrastructure in Germany faster and cheaper than expected. The group yesterday reported half-year revenues that jumped 25 per cent to £217.1m during the six months to 30 September, while profits fell to £779,000, from £2.14m during the same [...]
Paragon Group banks on shift from home owning as Britain becomes nation of renters November 25, 2014 Britain is increasingly becoming a nation of renters rather than home owners, Paragon Group’s boss told City A.M. yesterday. The lender increased its buy-to-let mortgage loans by more than 80 per cent this year, as homes become increasingly unaffordable. On top of sharp price rises in London, the mortgage market review (MMR) rules put in [...]
Zoopla boss Alex Chesterman isn’t fazed by Agents’ Mutual launch November 25, 2014 Agents’ Mutual doesn’t faze the property portal boss Alex Chesterman isn’t worried by the upcoming launch of what could be Zoopla’s biggest challenge to date, Agents’ Mutual, a property site led by several major estate agents launching in January. “The majority of estate agents are not participating in Agents’ Mutual,” he says. “So far [it [...]
French market woes weigh on Kingfisher profit November 25, 2014 NO AMOUNT of DIY could help fix Kingfisher’s sales performance in the third quarter as France’s weak consumer economy continued to weigh on Europe’s largest home improvement retailer. Kingfisher posted a 3.6 per cent drop in sales to £2.8bn, saying the weak French market, where it traded as Castorama and Brico Depot, had offset a [...]
Money printers De La Rue hit by tough market November 25, 2014 Banknote printer De La Rue saw its profits plunge by 36 per cent in the six months to 27 September, falling from £28.4m to £18.1m. Revenue fell by eight per cent, from £234m to £215m, and the firm’s dividend was cut by 41 per cent, from 14.1p to 8.3p. This was despite banknote print volumes [...]
Barclays-backed firm Third Energy plans to start fracking in North Yorkshire November 25, 2014 Gas company Third Energy has applied for planning permission to begin fracking in North Yorkshire. The firm, a startup backed by Barclays, first drilled the KM8 well at its Kirby Misperton in 2013. Chief executive Rasik Valand said: “Our analysis indicates that there could be a significant new gas reservoir in our North Yorkshire licence [...]
Severn Trent share price dips as water company prepares to slash 500 jobs after profits drop November 25, 2014 Water company Severn Trent is preparing to cut 500 jobs after reporting a 27.7 per cent reduction in profit before tax during the six months to 30 September 2014, dropping from £191m to £138m. However, underlying profit before tax was up 10.3 per cent to £156m from £141m, while turnover improved by 2.7 per cent, [...]
FTSE closes the day flat as miners weigh on BT and Sky gains – London Report November 25, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index yesterday steadied near a twomonth high, as stronger banking stocks were offset by a fall in mining companies as metals prices weakened. The blue chip FTSE 100 index closed 1.35 points higher, or flat in percentage terms, at 6,731.14 points. The index reached a two-month high last week. Disappointing earnings from [...]
Pfizer will be let loose on AstraZeneca again tomorrow – but is another takeover bid likely? November 25, 2014 From tomorrow, Pfizer will once more be able to make a take-over bid for AstraZeneca, after a “final rejection” in May meant it could not approach the UK pharmaceutical firm for six months. The offer was worth £55 per share, valuing AstraZeneca at approximately £69bn. But it was not accepted, on the ground that [...]