Rookie Vunipola ready to face world’s best, say England chiefs October 25, 2012 UNCAPPED Saracens prop Mako Vunipola has been backed to take the England set-up by storm after the 21-year-old was called up for next month’s autumn internationals. The youngster is one of four changes to the squad for Tests against Fiji, Australia. South Africa and New Zealand, with Leicester hooker Tom Youngs also in line for [...]
Salesman who still has faith in the high street February 17, 2013 SOME entrepreneurs stumble upon their calling accidentally. Not this one. The founder of one Britain’s few contemporary retail success stories describes himself as the archetypal entrepreneur. Jason Bannister had always wanted to start his own company, but didn’t always know where. A brief stint working in a golf club pro shop when he was 15 [...]
BSkyB’s shares hit 12-year high on user growth October 17, 2013 SKY’S growing broadband and TV customer numbers during the three months to 30 September helped push the pay-TV giant’s share price to a 12-year high yesterday. Sky added 800,000 new paid-for subscriptions to its services during the quarter, boosted by 111,000 new broadband subscribers, which took the company to over 5m total broadband customers. Revenues [...]
STK does a belter of a rib eye – if you can stand the club atmosphere February 6, 2013 Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie once said: “All vowels are fascist, man, everyone knows that”. It’s a sentiment that obviously chimed with the owners of US steakhouse chain STK, which has just arrived at the ME London hotel. This isn’t just any old steakhouse, though. Oh no, this is a “female friendly” steakhouse. Female friendly. [...]
Bramson’s Sherborne floats a new acquisition cash shell November 29, 2012 SHERBORNE Investors, the private equity group founded by Edward Bramson, launched its second cash shell yesterday, in a £207m listing on the Alternative Investment Market. The Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) B vehicle began trading on the junior market yesterday after a float run by Jefferies and HSBC. Bramson, who won control of F&C Asset Management in [...]
Kingfisher hit by French woes November 29, 2012 THE CHIEF executive of Kingfisher said uncertainty over the French government’s future tax policies had hit consumer confidence in its largest market, as it posted a six per cent drop in third quarter profit. The group, which runs B&Q and Screwfix in the UK as well as Castorama and Brico Depot in France, reported profits [...]
Revenue ramps up at Mitie November 19, 2012 Outsourcing firm Mitie said today that it expected total revenue growth to be higher in the second half, as it was buoyed by several new contracts. Over the six months to September the company – which runs services from maintenance and cleaning to baggage screening – reported revenue growth of 5.6 per cent to £1.03bn. [...]
US markets up on hopes of economic deal December 17, 2012 THE S&P 500 ended at its highest level in almost two months yesterday on rising hopes that negotiations over the “fiscal cliff” were making progress and that a deal could be reached in days. After weeks of stalemate, President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House, raising hopes that [...]
Mitie revenue boosted by key contract wins November 19, 2012 REVENUE at outsourcing firm Mitie jumped 5.6 per cent over the six months to September, as it hailed recent contract wins for the boost. Turnover jumped to £1.03bn as the FTSE 250-listed company was flattered by several large contract wins, including a £775m deal with Lloyds Banking Group, thought to be its largest-ever contract. Total [...]
CWC rings the changes in sale of Monaco arm December 3, 2012 CABLE & Wireless Communications (CWC) has agreed to sell its operations in Monaco and a number of island nations for a sum of up to $1.025bn (£638m). The sale to Bahraini telecoms firm Batelco frees CWC from control of a range of dispersed assets in Monaco, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a [...]