Which supermarket wine wins top of the shops? Corks pop as M&S nets 73 medals December 2, 2014 Here's one thing the discounters aren't winning at. Aldi may just have launched its own range of fine wines, but this Christmas we'll be raising a toast to Marks & Spencer, which has just netted 73 medals at the International Wine Challenge (IWC). The supermarket won five gold medals, 21 silvers and 47 bronzes for [...]
Oil giant BG Group backs down over new chief Helge Lund’s pay pack December 1, 2014 Pressure from shareholders has forced oil firm BG Group to revise its remuneration package for incoming chief executive Helge Lund and reduce his share award from £10m to £4.7m. The company stated that a “significant number” of shareholders had questioned the structure of the original proposed pay package, in particular asking whether it was [...]
Intelligent Energy boss Henri Winand cheery in face of dismal numbers December 1, 2014 Despite the company’s numbers showing a decidedly downward trend, Intelligent Energy chief executive Henri Winand remains very positive on the future of the business. The energy technology firm yesterday posted its preliminary full-year results, the first Intelligent Energy has published since floating on the main market in July. They revealed a £7m decline in revenue [...]
The best places to find Cyber Monday deals 2014: John Lewis, Tesco, Asos, Marks and Spencer, Game, Samsung, Halfords and Morrisons December 1, 2014 Beleaguered shoppers are still nursing their bruises and retailers are still fixing up their stores following UK's biggest-ever "Black Friday", yet the deals keep on coming. Tomorrow is "Cyber Monday", the internet's biggest shopping day of the year when online retailers offer consumers another chance to grab a bargain as the Christmas shopping season [...]
Priory clinic opens in the Square Mile: How to tackle stress in the City November 30, 2014 The opening of a Priory clinic in the Square Mile should be a call to action for employers. The Priory Group’s move to open a new wellbeing clinic in the City is a strong indication of an increasing problem. Recent ONS statistics show that the number of working days lost to “serious mental health” [...]
Saudis refuse to commit to Opec production curb as falling oil price fears continue November 26, 2014 Fears about falling oil prices continued yesterday as the Saudi Arabian oil minister revealed that Gulf countries in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) would not move to curb production at its meeting in Vienna today. Saudi’s Ali al-Naimi said the Gulf Co-operation Council, which included Opec members Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and [...]
Pressure grows over Helge Lund’s proposed £25m pay deal at BG Group November 26, 2014 Shareholders have been urged to vote against BG Group’s proposed pay package for incoming chief executive Helge Lund, which would see him earning a salary of £13.5m as well as a share arrangement worth £12m. The company is seeking approval for the share award, and proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) yesterday recommended that [...]
Friends Life and Aviva started merger talks months ago November 26, 2014 Insurance firm Aviva has been in talks about a potential merger with Friends Life for a number of months, City A.M. understands. Discussions began when Aviva chief executive Mark Wilson contacted his opposite number at Friends Life, Andy Briggs. But it was only on Friday when Aviva was forced to confirm the talks due to [...]
City watchdog consults on new regulations for insurance firms November 26, 2014 THE WAY the insurance sector is regulated is to be changed in order to implement the Solvency II directive, which comes into effect on 1 January 2016. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is consulting on proposed changes to its rules. It said that it would set out a regulatory framework to “ensure that those individuals [...]
United Utilities celebrates good first-half results November 26, 2014 REVENUE improved at United Utilities in the six months to 30 September, up to £859.4m from £845.7m in the same period of last year, while operating profit also improved, up to £340.5m from £338.3m. Steve Mogford, chief executive at United Utilities, said the firm was “pleased with the progress we have made over the last [...]