Hobbs gets the ladies on board without quotas December 2, 2012 NICKY Dulieu, the boss of fashion retailer Hobbs, has managed to recruit a nearly all-female board since taking up the helm in 2008 but insists that imposing quotas is not the way to increase the number of women in the boardroom. Asked whether she was in favour of quotas, Dulieu told City A.M: “I genuinely [...]
Ted Baker goes up a size as its quarterly revenues surge 22pc November 15, 2012 TED BAKER yesterday reported that sales have jumped by more than a fifth since the same time last year, as it manages to buck the high street gloom and continues with its overseas expansion. The British fashion brand said revenues rose 22.1 per cent in the 13 weeks to 10 November compared with the same [...]
Inflation on the way up again as energy bills and tuition fees strike November 11, 2012 INFLATION will be back in the spotlight tomorrow when official figures are released, followed by the Bank of England’s quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday. While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 2.2 per cent in September, it is expected to increase again due to rising tuition and energy bills. “We expect the CPI to [...]
Ted Baker boosted by overseas expansion October 4, 2012 TED BAKER posted a 15 per cent rise in first-half revenue yesterday, helped by strong sales in the US as it seeks to grow out of a sluggish European market. Retailers have come under pressure in the face of squeezed consumer spending, muted wages growth and government austerity. But Ted Baker has notched up solid [...]
Banks to announce interest rates days after key economic indicators September 30, 2012 THE first day of the month brings with it September’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) manufacturing data for the UK and Eurozone. Last month’s UK figures painted a rosier-than-expected picture of the sector, although the Eurozone figures were disappointing. The news will be followed up tomorrow by construction data from the PMI, although FirstGroup’s trading update [...]
Best of the Brokers August 30, 2012 SEGRO Morgan Stanley has downgraded the property group from “overweight” to “equalweight” with a price target of 240p after a good run by the shares. It says a further re-rating may be triggered by Europe disposals. TED BAKER Singer has downgraded the retailer from “buy” to “fair value” with a target price of 1,000p, seeing [...]
FTSE 100 lower on Eurozone uncertainty August 28, 2012 The headline index opened lower on the first business day after the summer bank holiday, thanks to gloomy economic news from Germany and uncertainty over the European Central Bank’s plans to contain the debt crisis. Specialist chemicals maker Yule Catto was the strongest riser this morning, up 6.35 per cent on the back of announcing [...]
Expansion lifts Ted Baker sales June 12, 2012 BRITISH fashion chain Ted Baker appeared to be unswayed by the wet weather and the tough consumer backdrop as it posted a 16.2 per cent revenue rise for the last 19 weeks. The chain increased its trading space by 12 per cent, following the opening of a new store on London’s Brompton Road last weekend, [...]
Babcock rises to FTSE 100 as Man demoted June 6, 2012 HEDGE fund manager Man Group discovered last night that it will lose its coveted spot in the FTSE 100, following the index’s quarterly review. It will be replaced by services firm Babcock, which owns a variety of defence interests, including Plymouth’s Devonport Shipyard and a contract from the Ministry of Defence to support the development of [...]
Portable hotel firm looks for a home on Aim April 9, 2012 SNOOZEBOX, which provides portable hotel rooms at festivals and sports events, plans to float on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) by the end of the month. The firm, whose upmarket rooms offer flatscreen TVs, Wi-Fi and air conditioning, has hired Panmure Gordon to help it raise £10m to fund expansion. “I’m quite a big fan [...]