Porsche 964 Carrera RS review: Tim Pitt lets Porsche’s road racer off its leash, but is this the ultimate 911? March 20, 2017 The Porsche 911 is the greatest sports car ever made. There, I’ve said it. This Darwinian survivor has evolved over five decades, transcending humble VW Beetle origins and shrugging off attempts to replace it. From air-cooled originals to today’s turbocharged Carrera, every 911 is iconic, idiosyncratic and unfailingly brilliant to drive. But which is the [...]
ITV profits rise – but ad sales fall in “uncertain” market March 1, 2017 Pre-tax profits at ITV rose in the year to the end of December, it said today – but ad sales dipped three per cent, partly thanks to uncertainty. The figures Anyone worrying about the fate of ITV in a post-Downton Abbey era needn't have bothered. The company said total revenue rose three per cent to £3.1bn, while pre-tax [...]
21st Century Fox £12bn takeover of Sky has been referred to regulators Ofcom and the CMA by culture secretary Karen Bradley March 16, 2017 The bid by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox to take over Sky has been referred to regulators by the culture secretary. Karen Bradley confirmed her decision this morning after already announcing she was “minded” to do so. Broadcast regulator Ofcom will examine “public interest considerations” and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) “jurisdiction issues”. Read more: Sky takeover [...]
Evans Cycles poaches Dobbies Garden Centres’ boss Andy King November 6, 2016 Evans Cycles has announced that Andy King has been appointed as its new chief executive. King was formerly managing director at Dobbies Garden Centres, the national garden retail business, and prior to that worked at Notcutts Garden Centres, The Body Shop and Mothercare. He replaces Nick Wilkinson, who left the company earlier this year. ECI [...]
Card Factory share price climbs as profits lifted by online sales though the retailer is warning over living wage costs April 5, 2016 Online shopping sales and personalised presents have pushed retailer Card Factory to a 25 per cent increase in profits for the last year. The company's share price has jumped on the numbers climbing over three per cent by early afternoon trading. Underlying profit before tax hit £82m last year, up 25.2 per cent from £65.5m the year before. [...]
B&M eyes more stores as sales jump by a third May 28, 2015 Bargain retail chain B&M has hiked its store expansion targets after reporting a near 30 per cent jump in revenue in its first year as a public company. The company, which sells everything from toys to electrical goods and furniture, yesterday said sales jumped 29.5 per cent to £1.6bn in the year to 28 March, [...]
Meal delivery service Marley Spoon plans US expansion with €15m Series B funding March 14, 2016 Meal delivery service Marley Spoon has raised €15m (£11.6m) in its Series B funding round, which it aims to use for the launch of its west coast US fulfilment operations. The company, which provides customers with recipes and seasonal ingredients, in exact quantities, to cook at home, has also secured up to €40m in media [...]
Lobster roll craze drives wholesale prices of the crustacean to an 11-year high October 11, 2016 Wholesale lobster prices have hit an 11-year high following a burst in popularity in lobster rolls and the now-affordable luxury gracing the menus of more and more casual dining chains. Lobster is now worth $6 (£4.80) a pound, according to US data group Urner Barry. Read more: Lobster and burgers folks… That's it Groups such as B.O.B [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan rejects suggestions he will quit: ‘The job’s not done yet… I’d like to be around a little longer’ May 11, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Ross McEwan has hit back at reports he is preparing to step down, today insisting he wants to remain at the helm until 2020. The New Zealander wants to oversee the return of the state-backed bank back to private ownership. Yesterday RBS announced it had finally ticked off one [...]
Bank of England bosses concerned banks’ financial stability buffers are not high enough July 3, 2018 Members of the Bank of England’s top financial stability body have expressed concerns that UK banks’ capital buffers may not be adequate in the face of riskier lending and increasing dangers to the global financial system. The Bank’s financial policy committee (FPC) maintained its countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) at one per cent, but “some members [...]