Thales names Vigneron as CEO May 19, 2009 Luc Vigneron took over as head of French defence electronics giant Thales yesterday. Vigneron, who for eight years has run state-owned Nexter, maker of France’s Leclerc battle tank, stepped in as chairman and chief executive following the ousting of Denis Ranque by Thales’s new main industrial shareholder, Dassault Aviation.
Japanese carmakers rebound May 19, 2009 Japanese carmakers Nissan and Honda revealed sales boosts yesterday, after the government slashed taxes on low-emission cars to boost the sector. Nissan said orders rose by 30 per cent so far in May compared to a year earlier. Honda said its orders rose by about 20 per cent to mid-May. Toyota on Monday revealed a [...]
Vodafone to accelerate cost cutting May 19, 2009 VODAFONE said yesterday that it plans to accelerate its £1bn cost cutting programme after the phone giant’s full year profits were hit by writedowns of £5.9bn. “Our £1bn cost-cutting reduction programme is ahead of plan and we continue to explore further ways to reduce costs,” said chief executive Vittoria Colao, adding that the company now [...]
Great Portland in 175m fund raising May 19, 2009 THE West-end focused property group Great Portland Estates yesterday launched a £175m rights issue in order to take advantage of depressed values in the central London property market. The rights shares, which will be underwritten by Credit Suisse and JP Morgan Cazenove, are being issued at 133p each, at a 53.4 per cent discount to Monday [...]
Evolution joins rival Collins Stewart in early season profit May 19, 2009 STOCKBROKER Collins Stewart said yesterday that it had enjoyed a profitable May after four consecutive months of breaking even, while rival Evolution also announced that it had stayed in the black. Collins Stewart’s revenue reached £57m for the first four months of the year, roughly unchanged on the previous year, as favourable exchange rates helped it [...]
Bank of Ireland chief quits as profits plunge May 19, 2009 BANK of Ireland governor Richard Burrows announced his resignation yesterday, after the bank reported a 96 per cent plunge in full year net profit due to restructuring and impairment loan charges. Net profit for the year ending March 31 fell to €59m (£52m) from €1.69bn a year ago, beating forecasts but reflecting the bank’s exposure to Ireland’s [...]
Bay Trading salvaged by sale to Rinku Group May 19, 2009 FASHION chain Bay Trading has been rescued by a last-ditch sale to clothing wholesaler and retailer Rinku Group, administrator Deloitte said yesterday. Rinku, which owns the Tigi-Wear, Viz-a-Viz and iZ clothing brands, has bought 45 of Bay Trading’s stores and 85 concessions. The chain’s remaining 125 outlets will be wound up and returned to landlords [...]
CHEQUERED FORTUNES May 19, 2009 LUXURY retailer Burberry, known for its distinctive beige plaid, warned yesterday trading will remain tough, as it revealed profit for the year fell 12.5 per cent, resulting in a £ 5.1m loss after it heavily discounted products, wrote down the value of Spanish stores and bore the cost of moving its London and New York [...]
Carluccio’s feels cost pressure May 19, 2009 Italian eaterie and retail chain Carluccio’s said yesterday a reduction in consumer spending and an unprecedentel level of cost pressure had caused a small fall in profits over the first half of the year. Profit before tax for the six months to 29 March fell 10.7 per cent to £2.5m, while turnover grew 13.5 per [...]
US housing starts hit record low May 19, 2009 New US residential building fell to its lowest level since 1959 last month, signalling that the stricken housing market could have further to fall. The Commerce Department said housing starts fell 12.8 per cent to an annual rate of 458,000 units last month, the lowest since records began in January 1959.