THE TIPSTER CHRISTMAS HAS ARRIVED EARLY IN THE MARKETS November 16, 2009 THE FTSE 100 smashed through 5,300 yesterday, rising 86 points to close at 5,382.67. For weeks the blue-chip index had been struggling to get through this resistance level but yesterday, it was firmly back on the upward trend. Has the traditional Santa rally started early? If so, the next target level would be the 5,500 [...]
Travis Perkins remains cautious about next year as says no signs of recovery September 30, 2009 BUILDERS’ merchant and home improvements group Travis Perkins yesterday said group nine-month turnover fell 11 per cent, as volumes showed no sustained improvement and pricing pressure persisted. However, the group, which has branches across the UK under Travis Perkins, Wickes and other brands, said trading for the past three months was ahead of its expectations. [...]
Obama has made American brands more popular October 13, 2009 ACCORDING to the Nobel citation, President Obama deserved the Nobel Prize for Peace because of his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”. Was it an absurd award, or a prescient one? Has Obama made America more popular? We have in the past used BrandIndex as a subliminal measure of America’s popularity [...]
Attention turns to the pub as leisure sector steps out October 11, 2009 This week will give us a glimpse of how consumers are spending their time, with Whitbread, Punch Taverns and PartyGaming all reporting. But it will be opinion-polling firm YouGov that gets a reaction from investors today, as it reports its full-year results. The company said in July that it was beginning to see the benefits [...]
M&S to start search in Autumn June 21, 2009 High street bellwether Marks&Spencer will start the hunt for a new chief executive in September, with Sir Stuart Rose set to make an early departure next year. The City is convinced M&S will appoint an external candidate, with Justin King of J Sainsbury, Andy Bond of Asda and Kate Swann of WH Smith all considered [...]
STANLEY FINK TO BRING ARK GALA DINNER GLITZ OUT OF HEDGIE SHELL July 5, 2009 WHAT a coup for former Man group boss Stanley Fink at the weekend, as he stepped into hedgie philanthropist Arki Busson’s shoes as the chairman of children’s charity Absolute Return for Kids (ARK). Busson is best known for his engagement to actress Uma Thurman and his hefty contribution to the hedge fund social circuit with [...]
WH Smith posts £73m profit October 14, 2005 Stationer WH Smith was the second high street institution to surprise the market this week with its turnaround progress. Chief executive Kate Swann followed Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose’s example as pre-tax profits came in at £73m for the year to 31 August. Although like-for-like sales fell 2 per cent during the past six [...]