Inflation falls at last – but the damage has already been done June 20, 2012 AT last, Britain’s inflation problem is abating. Prices are still increasing too quickly – inflation remains at 3.1 per cent on the retail price index and 2.8 per cent on the consumer price index, painful as wages are growing far less quickly. But the direction of travel is reassuring. The Bank of England – by [...]
Inflation falls at last – but the damage has already been done June 19, 2012 AT last, Britain’s inflation problem is abating. Prices are still increasing too quickly – inflation remains at 3.1 per cent on the retail price index and 2.8 per cent on the consumer price index, painful as wages are growing far less quickly. But the direction of travel is reassuring. The Bank of England – by [...]
Blacks tanks as it seeks an Xmas buyer December 7, 2011 STRUGGLING outdoor equipment retailer Blacks Leisure yesterday put itself up for sale, sending its shares plummeting as it admitted it had failed to find an alternative route out of it funding troubles. Shares in Blacks, which have lost 90 per cent of their value since the start of the year, extended losses to close at [...]
Clinton Cards profits nosedive as it negotiates a fresh credit deal October 27, 2011 CARD and gift retailer Clinton Cards posted an 83 per cent slump in full-year profit, hit by a combination of low consumer confidence and intense competition from supermarkets and the internet. The firm said it made an adjusted operating profit of £3.2m in the year to 31 July, down from £18.8m on revenues down 7.6 [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 16, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES CHOPPY MARKETS THREATEN EMI SALE Turbulent financing markets could derail Citigroup’s attempt to sell EMI, according to people close to the $3bn-plus auction who warned that the US bank could abandon the sale if it cannot squeeze higher offers from bidders. The bidding process remains fluid, with Citigroup expected to decide within two [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 19, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES SIEMENS SHELTERS CASH AT ECB Siemens withdrew more than half a billion euros in cash deposits from a large French bank two weeks ago and transferred it to the ECB, in a sign of how companies are seeking havens amid Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. The German industrial group withdrew the money partly because [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 12, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES UNICREDIT CHIEF SIGNALS RIGHTS ISSUE TO INCREASE CAPITAL LEVELS UniCredit has given its clearest signal yet that it will seek to raise its capital buffers as market turmoil continues to hit European bank shares. In his first big interview since becoming chief a year ago Federico Ghizzoni told the Financial Times that details [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 13, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES WATCHDOG IN PENSION VICTORY Britain’s Pensions Regulator has dropped the threat of action against US-based Chemtura Corp and its UK subsidiary, after the company agreed to pay £60m into its pension scheme over the next three years. In December 2010, the regulator issued a formal warning to Chemtura Corp and Chemtura Manufacturing UK that [...]
Crackers boost for Greetings December 8, 2010 INTERNATIONAL Greetings, the cards and wrapping manufacturer, yesterday reported a surge in demand for Christmas crackers. Total first-half sales rose 13 per cent to £104.5m, with pre-tax profits more than doubling from £1m to £2.1m in the six months to the end of September. Chief executive Paul Fineman said the company will sell 70m crackers [...]
Crackers boost for Greetings December 8, 2010 INTERNATIONAL Greetings, the cards and wrapping manufacturer, yesterday reported a surge in demand for Christmas crackers. Total first-half sales rose 13 per cent to £104.5m, with pre-tax profits more than doubling from £1m to £2.1m in the six months to the end of September. Chief executive Paul Fineman said the company will sell 70m crackers [...]