Greggs chief set to reveal flaky half-year profit August 4, 2013 ROGER Whiteside is set to unveil his strategy for turning around the bakery chain’s recent soggy sales performance when he presents his first half-year results as chief executive this week. So far the former Punch Taverns boss, who was also a longstanding non-executive at Greggs before taking over the reins in February, has insisted that [...]
Analyst Views: What was your reaction to Greggs’ results and new strategy? August 6, 2013 SAHILL SHAN | N+1 SINGERAs anticipated first half results are weak but we take comfort from an improved like-for-like sales trend over the second quarter. Crucially the new CEO has outlined firm strategic changes to revive growth. Whilst there is no quick fix, the new initiatives are all positive moves to improve the fundamental proposition. [...]
Best of the Brokers for 20 February 2014 February 19, 2014 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com GENUS Panmure Gordon sticks to its “sell” rating on the livestock genetics firm ahead of interim results next Tuesday. Earnings per share are predicted to decline by almost five per cent to 24.5p, with some of the slump due to currency headwinds that [...]
Do you need to learn how to code? April 28, 2014 Programming has reached the mainstream but is unlikely to boost your career prospects CODING has become so mainstream that even basketball legend Chris Bosh is telling you to do it. Forget footballers, it’s now tech entrepreneurs (like teenager Nick D’Aloisio, who sold his company Summly to Yahoo for a reported £20m last year) that today’s [...]
Labour in turmoil over pensions plan March 20, 2014 LABOUR was in turmoil last night as senior party officials failed to respond to the coalition’s radical liberalisation of UK pensions, more than 24 hours after the revolutionary shake-up was announced in the Budget. Neither leader Ed Miliband, shadow chancellor Ed Balls, or shadow pensions minister Gregg McClymont, set out a clear position on the [...]
London Report: Insurance firms start a deluge of UK earnings February 23, 2014 A BUMPER week for UK earnings kicks off today with results from Hiscox, one of the big home insurers reporting full-year figures. Figures from Hiscox, RSA and Direct Line could give more detailed estimates of losses for UK industry and themselves after recent flooding and storms. Aviva and L&G are also set to give end [...]
Float fever to shake up FTSE indices in reshuffle December 9, 2013 THE ROYAL Mail could break into the FTSE 100 tomorrow, one of several newly listed companies which are candidates to join the FTSE in its quarterly reshuffle. The postal group is set to knock Vedanta Resources out of the blue chip index after its bumper share price rise since its float made it one of [...]
London Report: Retailers set to reveal scale of 2013 hangover January 5, 2014 RETAIL figures due this week will reveal whether Britain’s major brands are going into the New Year with a Christmas hangover. Marks & Spencer and Tesco are both set to report on Thursday, and J Sainsbury on Wednesday, with figures likely to show retailers faced a dismal festive season. Debenhams has already set the tone, [...]
HSBC and Standard Chartered chairmen demand EU reform November 11, 2013 THE CHAIRMEN of two of the UK’s biggest banks yesterday called on Brussels to promote free trade and slash regulation as the best way to increase competitiveness and cut unemployment in the region. HSBC chairman Douglas Flint and Standard Chartered chairman Sir John Peace were among dozens of business leaders who demanded the changes in [...]
Fashion biopic more style than substance March 20, 2014 FILMYVES SAINT LAURENTCert 15 | By Simon ThomsonTwo Stars THERE just isn’t enough of a story to support a biopic of Yves Saint Laurent. The first half, addressing his early career and emergence as an independent force in the fashion industry, is an underpowered French remake of Mad Men. The second, where he descends into [...]