Corporate governance: the Institute of Directors’ best and the worst September 7, 2016 While British American Tobacco’s (BAT) products may be the subject of various health warnings, it has topped a corporate governance health-check by the Institute of Directors (IoD). Supermarket giant Tesco, meanwhile, brings up the rear in a new governance ranking of the UK's top 100 companies. BAT performed particularly well in terms of dealing with its shareholders and [...]
Takeover rumours fly but markets fail to take off October 21, 2016 Markets are yawning their way to the weekend with a quiet finish to a tumultuous week. Stocks has shaved a few points, sterling is up against some, down against some and very little of note is happening on the financial markets despite a big day of political developments and some chunky corporate news. Two takeover [...]
Aiming high: Junior market hits £80bn milestone September 6, 2016 The Alternative Investment Market (Aim) soared over the summer, taking its combined market cap to £80bn at the end of August. The UK's junior market, which is designed to attract smaller companies to go public, climbed by 3.4 per cent in August. Combined with a sprinkling of new listings, the rise helped the index pass [...]
Rolls-Royce shares fall as it nabs new CFO Stephen Daintith from the Daily Mail publisher September 22, 2016 Shares in aerospace and defence company Rolls-Royce fell today after it named the Daily Mail publisher's Stephen Daintith as its new chief financial officer. The move comes as chief executive Warren East enacts a turnaround plan to simplify the manufacturer's overly complicated structure. He recently announced British high-speed rail boss Simon Kirby would be joining as chief [...]
British American Tobacco turns to ecigarettes to stay ahead but share price closed on five-day low September 23, 2015 British American Tobacco (BAT) yesterday signed a conditional agreement to buy ecigarette manufacturer CHIC for an undisclosed sum. BAT hopes to extend its reach through Europe and expand beyond its tobacco cigarettes to make the most of the growing ecigarette movement – which are widely viewed as a healthier option. CHIC, Poland’s e-cigarette market-leader, makes [...]
These cigarette brands might go up in smoke in France if health minister broadens the terms of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive July 21, 2016 Smoking might still a be a key component of what we associate with Parisian chic, but smokers in France could be left fuming if the French health minister has his way. Yesterday, French newspaper Le Figaro reported the minister, Marisol Touraine, is considering a proposal to ban several tobacco brand names under part of the [...]
British American Tobacco to put its first quitting aid Voke on the market August 23, 2015 British American Tobacco’s (BAT) first anti-smoking product, Voke, will arrive in shops at the end of the year, marking a victory for BAT over its rivals such as Imperial Tobacco who have similar products in development. BAT was granted regulatory approval in 2014 by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHPRA). The product will [...]
How boutiques have snatched bankers and M&A business from the Wall Street giants January 9, 2017 With bonus season kicking off this week, one or two investment bankers at Wall Street heavyweights may well have cast an envious eye over the recent results of London boutique Robey Warshaw. The firm, which was founded in 2013 and has three former Wall Street bankers as its partners, reported profits of £36.6m for the year [...]
After subdued 2016, contrained by Brexit and Trump, these bankers are predicting a 2017 bounceback for UK M&A December 19, 2016 Despite mega-deals involving the London Stock Exchange, Arm Holdings, Sky and a big takeover approach from British American Tobacco (BAT), even the most optimistic M&A banker would concede it’s been a somewhat subdued year for UK deals. After a record 2015, a year in which Megabrew was finally agreed and Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell tied [...]
Plain packaging: Here are six reactions to today’s High Court ruling on cigarette packets in the UK that will be introduced tomorrow May 19, 2016 This afternoon the High Court ruled against a legal challenge brought forward by big tobacco companies to try and avert new plain packaging laws that will be implemented tomorrow. The world's big four tobacco companies were involved in the legal challenge, which was led by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco. Japan Tobacco International [...]