ECONOMIC DIARY February 21, 2010 AFTER a week packed with economic data releases, the next five days promise to be a bit quieter. Last Thursday, the US Federal Reserve hiked the rate it charged banks to hold reserves in a surprise move that signalled a return towards more normal monetary policy. On Wednesday Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will be giving [...]
Flat track bully Madison can give Pipe his first Racing Post Chase February 25, 2010 IN THE past 11 years only two horses have won Kempton’s Racing Post Chase (3.05pm, tomorrow) carrying less than 11stone and four have shouldered at least 11st10lbs. In short, this race goes to the best horses and there are only two who will carry more than 11stone tomorrow: Nacarat and MADISON DU BERLAIS. Tom George’s [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS January 10, 2010 TED BAKER Singer Capital maintains a “buy” rating for Ted Baker after strong trading from 1 November to 24 December. Retail sales growth for this period was 19.1 per cent and trading was up 14.3 per cent year-on-year. It says Ted Baker’s collections are doing well and has revised its target price from 505p to [...]
Shop Direct sales surge on internet January 5, 2010 LITTLEWOODS owner Shop Direct enjoyed a 6.3 per cent sales rise in the run-up to Christmas as shoppers flocked to buy over the internet. The home shopping group, which also operates the Woolworths.co.uk, Kays and Very.co.uk brands, said online sales were up 19 per cent on the previous year in the six weeks to 1 [...]
M&S LEADS HIGH STREET RECOVERY January 4, 2010 HIGH street bellwether Marks & Spencer is this week expected to report its first sales growth in two years, boosting hopes that British consumers have cast aside their gloom and started spending again. The retail giant will update the market on Wednesday on how it fared over Christmas, with analysts expecting M&S to post like-for-like [...]
BA’s image recovers from threat of strike action January 5, 2010 JOHN Lewis yesterday announced strong Christmas sales – and certainly from the BrandIndex satisfaction scores, it seems that Waitrose customers were satisfied with their Christmas shopping. Graph One shows the scores of six leading supermarkets for the month of December. A PR DISASTER British Airways, meanwhile, had a disastrous December on the PR front. Strikes [...]
Sainsbury’s reports “record” Christmas performance January 7, 2010 SUPERMARKET chain J Sainsbury was given a festive boost with sales rising by 3.8 per cent as shoppers snapped up food and drink for Christmas. The like-for-like sales figures for the 12 weeks to Boxing Day beat the forecasts of City analysts who had predicted a 3.5 per cent gain. The data also show that [...]
BA and Unite in new talks January 7, 2010 BRITISH Airways will hold talks with union leaders representing cabin crew this week, in a bid to avoid potentially crippling industrial action. Unite is already balloting its members for a second strike after a planned 12-day action over the Christmas period was ruled illegal by a High Court judge. Discussions will revolve around planned changes [...]
BA and Unite in new talks January 6, 2010 BRITISH Airways will hold talks with union leaders representing cabin crew this week, in a bid to avoid potentially crippling industrial action. Unite is already balloting its members for a second strike after a planned 12-day action over the Christmas period was ruled illegal by a High Court judge. Discussions will revolve around planned changes [...]
Sainsbury’s in festive feast as sales rise January 7, 2010 J SAINSBURY was given a festive boost with sales rising by 3.8 per cent as shoppers snapped up food and drink for Christmas. The like-for-like sales figures at Britain’s third largest supermarket chain, revealed yesterday, beat the forecasts of City analysts who had predicted a 3.5 per cent gain. Sainsbury’s slashed prices on its beer, [...]