Cobham stays strong despite military cuts November 6, 2014 SHARES in technology firm Cobham rose 1.4 per cent yesterday, after the company reported that its trading performance in the first nine months of 2014 had been in line with expectations. The group added that it had continued to make progress towards the achievement of its various significant aerial refuelling engineering milestones, although further progress [...]
Profits stay flat as volumes dip at coke bottler November 6, 2014 COKE bottler Coca-Cola HBC reported flat profits in the third quarter of 2014, at €148.2m (£115.9m), compared with €148.1m in the same period last year. Sales revenue dropped by more than five per cent, from €1.9bn to €1.8bn, with volumes down by 4.8 per cent, from 575m unit cases to 548m. The company, which is [...]
Bottom Line: Christmas comes early for King November 13, 2013 THEY say good things come to those who wait. Yesterday, almost a week after rival retailers Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Morrisons released their Christmas adverts, the UK’s fastest growing supermarket revealed its own tear-jerker – a three-and-a-half minute mini-film that aired during last night’s Coronation Street. The film, which shows clips of ordinary [...]
UK retail sales increase at strongest rate since February 2010 in December January 17, 2014 Christmas was a pretty mixed bag for some retailers, but figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that the squeeze on consumers is easing, and they were able to make the most of bargain and discount shopping. December retail sales jumped 5.3 per cent from a year earlier, up 2.6 per cent in the [...]
London brokers Hyperion Group and RKH reveal plans to merge November 5, 2014 Private insurance brokers Hyperion Insurance Group and R K Harrison Holdings (RKH) revealed yesterday that they were in exclusive merger discussions. David Howden, currently chief executive at Hyperion, will take on the same role at the top of the combined group. RKH chief executive Paul Bridgwater is to step down. A spokesman for Hyperion said [...]
Ageas UK improves combined ratio despite declining profits November 5, 2014 INSURANCE group Ageas UK reported a £64.8m profit for the first nine months of 2014, down from £73.7m posted for the same period last year. The company improved its combined ratio in the third quarter of 2014, at 96.6 per cent compared with 98 per cent in 2013. Ageas owns Tesco Underwriting, but does not [...]
Rolls-Royce to pay ex-finance chief Mark Morris £900,000 November 5, 2014 Departing Rolls-Royce chief financial officer Mark Morris is to receive a final remuneration package of more than £900,000. His departure was announced yesterday, and took effect immediately, with no reason given for his leaving. The package, also revealed yesterday, includes £717,150 to be paid in lieu of his 12-month notice period. Morris will receive 12 [...]
Crude oil down again as Saudi drops US prices November 4, 2014 The price of Brent crude oil fell again yesterday, to $82.68, continuing months of decline for the benchmark commodity. Yesterday’s dip followed Saudi Arabia dropping its US prices, although it increased prices for Asian and European markets. Analysts at Numis said the price cut was seen as further evidence of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to fight [...]
Thousands will lose their jobs at Rolls-Royce November 4, 2014 ENGINE-MAKER Rolls-Royce saw shares go up by 1.56 per cent yesterday after revealing that it was going to cut 2,600 jobs, in a move that it said would result in annualised cost benefits of around £80m. Rolls-Royce chief executive John Rishton said the firm would work closely with employees and their representatives to achieve the reductions [...]
These festive victors have found a way of winning online and in store January 16, 2014 Argos, Primark, Halfords, Homebase, Dixons and Ocado: the raft companies who saw sales leap over the Christmas period, and present a stark contrast to the big names (M&S, Tesco and Morrisons) that reported gloomy – and sometimes grim – results last week. It's become something of a cliche to keep emphasising the need for transition [...]