Bellway profits jump on robust London growth March 27, 2012 HOUSEBUILDER Bellway has said profits before tax more than doubled in the first half of the year as higher selling prices and a strong demand for homes in the south continued to underpin growth. The company, which operates from over 200 sales outlets in the UK, reported a 69 per cent rise in pre-tax profit to [...]
Fifty shades of blockbuster success June 7, 2012 BOOKS FIFTY SHADES OF GREY By EL James (Arrow) An urgent message reached me last week as I was heading to the airport for a Jubilee weekend trip to Israel: “Bring four copies of Fifty Shades of Grey pretty please.” It came from a 34 year old friend in Tel Aviv who, along with three [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 25, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES ROYAL MAIL LOOKS TO DELIVER IPO NEXT YEAR The coalition government aims to begin the privatisation of Royal Mail by selling or floating at least part of it in autumn 2013 if the state-owned postal operator’s finances continue to improve. The sell-off would be Britain’s most ambitious privatisation since John Major broke up [...]
Grainger still selling properties February 8, 2012 Property investor Grainger said UK house prices had proved surprisingly resilient and that it continued to sell off properties as it cuts debt and braces for what CEO Andrew Cunningham believes will be an orderly breakup of the Eurozone. The 100 year old company said in a trading statement yesterday that gross rents rose 22 [...]
Tchenguiz business Vincos narrows losses during 2011 March 4, 2012 THE MANAGEMENT company for the Tchenguiz family businesses narrowed its losses last year as it continues with its restructuring. Vincos, which “provides finance and support services” to a group of firms and looks into investment opportunities for the Tchenguiz Family Trust, said turnover fell 40 per cent to £13.8m in the year to May 2011 [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 27, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES CLEGG REBUKES ARGENTINA Nick Clegg has rebuked Argentina for making “baseless insinuations” about Britain’s nuclear submarine deployments, ratcheting up tensions over the Falkland Islands in a clash in front of more than 50 world leaders. UNITED TECH FACES PROBE OVER GOODRICH United Technologies is to face an in-depth European Commission investigation into its [...]
Bellway sees resilient UK market ahead February 7, 2012 BELLWAY said the UK housing market remained “resilient” ahead of the key spring selling season, but warned that the growth rates were set to slow. The housebuilder sold 2,455 homes in the first half of the year – up five per cent on the same period in 2010 – while the average selling price climbed [...]
Bellway sees resilient UK market ahead February 7, 2012 BELLWAY said the UK housing market remained “resilient” ahead of the key spring selling season, but warned that the growth rates were set to slow. The housebuilder sold 2,455 homes in the first half of the year – up five per cent on the same period in 2010 – while the average selling price climbed [...]
Tablet sales cannibalising desktop PCs March 5, 2012 TOMORROW’S Apple announcement could bring more bad news for the desktop computer market, with the Cupertino-based company expected to reveal the third generation iPad and trigger a tablet shopping frenzy. When the iPad 2 was launched this time last year, online marketplace eBay sold 5,000 more tablets in March than in February as iPad-hungry shoppers [...]
Miami Nice: there’s lots more to Florida than Disney World April 15, 2012 FOR most of the 1.5m Brits who travel to Florida each year, it’s the allure of the Mouse that does it. But there’s much more to the state than Disney. While Orlando promises wholesome family entertainment (especially for those who don’t mind queuing), the rest of Florida offers some serious fun for grown ups. Miami [...]