O2 tops rivals and grows in third quarter November 12, 2009 Mobile operator O2 said yesterday that it was the only UK network to grow its revenues in the third quarter, as it benefited from its since-expired deal to be the exclusive seller of Apple’s iPhone. The UK arm of Spain’s Telefonica said that it saw demand for its mobile data services – customers accessing the [...]
SEASONAL THOUGHTS FROM THE CITY GIRL November 30, 2009 As 2009 comes to a close, City folk are craving a bit of fun. After being forced to keep their heads down all year amid the misery, bailouts and chaos, most bankers I know are desperate to let their hair down, get drunk and embarrass themselves. One of the things I miss most about the [...]
Fears over Greek and Austrian banks send FTSE shares down December 15, 2009 Britain’s leading share index shed 0.6 per cent yesterday, snapping a three-session rally with banks hit by some renewed sector caution, while oils and miners fell as a strengthening dollar weighed on metal prices. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 29.57 points lower at 5,285.77 after having gained one per cent on Monday to [...]
Online organisation tools are the next big thing November 30, 2009 FREQUENTLY I find myself in discussions on panels where some well-intentioned moderator asks, “when will the advertising market come back?” Sir Martin Sorrell and other advertising executives frequently get quoted on their views on this subject, and overall, most people seem to think that the dip is cyclical, and if we wait long enough, good [...]
London rises to highest close in 3 weeks on Dubai bailout December 14, 2009 BRITAIN’S top share index closed at its highest level in a week yesterday, led by banks, after Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai with $10bn in surprise aid, with commodities stocks also notching up solid gains. The FTSE 100 closed up 53.77 points at 5,315.34, its highest close since 4 December, adding to a rise the [...]
How to control Xmas party damage November 23, 2009 THE revelry of the Christmas season always carries the same sting in its tail: hangovers, weight gain and liver strain. On average, people gain five pounds over the four-week period, the result of consuming 500 extra calories a day (a few handful of crisps, a mini sausage roll, a couple of glasses of wine and [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 13, 2009 THE SUNDAYS The Sundays Telegraph DEBENHAMS DIRECTORS GET BUMPER PAYOUTS Directors of Debenhams have received bumper payouts, despite the retailer cutting its dividend payment to shareholders last year. Rob Templeman, chief executive, saw his package increase by a third to £1.24m after he was granted a bonus of £428,073. Michael Sharp, deputy chief executive, saw [...]
THE TIPSTER GOOD RESULTS BUT OUTLOOK QUESTIONED November 8, 2009 WE ARE still in earnings season and mobile telecoms giant Vodafone is due to report its interim results tomorrow. Last week’s comments by Cisco that technology spending is on the up may be the sort of signal to encourage further support for the company, but with competitor Orange launching their UK iPhone sales on the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 17, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES STRICKEN SCOTTISH AIRLINE’S £30M IN QUESTION Administrators of Globespan, the collapsed Scottish airline that has left thousands of passengers stranded abroad, were investigating last night why £30m of its funds were being held by E-Clear, the company that handles its credit card transactions. Bruce Cartwright, of PwC, said he understood that about half [...]
WINTER OF DISCONTENT October 8, 2009 BRITAIN is facing a “winter of discontent” with strikes looming at Royal Mail, British Airways, Irish carrier Aer Lingus, and electronics giant Fujitsu. Staff at Royal Mail yesterday voted three to one in favour of a national strike, which is set to bring misery to businesses over the Christmas period, while costing London hundreds of [...]