Business can help offset UK consumer dip April 17, 2011 MISERY on the British high street will be further confirmed by this week’s official retail sales data, economists expect, with attention turning to business investment to offset the slump in consumer spending. Business investment will increase by 12 per cent this year and by a further 14 per cent in 2012, the Ernst and Young [...]
Dixons warns on profits for second time March 30, 2011 DIXONS Retail, the owner of Currys and PC World, yesterday said it would slash costs as it issued its second profit warning in three months. The firm said consumer confidence had deteriorated since the start of the year, especially in the UK and Ireland, hitting sales of big ticket electrical items such as flat screen [...]
Risk appetite spikes in 2011 April 10, 2011 RISK appetite at FTSE companies has hit its highest rate since a leading survey of chief financial officers began in 2007, it was revealed today. Four in ten (41 per cent) CFOs think this is a good time to take on greater risk on their firms’ balance sheets, according to a Deloitte survey – up [...]
Risk appetite spikes in 2011 April 10, 2011 RISK appetite at FTSE companies has hit its highest rate since a leading survey of chief financial officers began in 2007, it was revealed today. Four in ten (41 per cent) CFOs think this is a good time to take on greater risk on their firms’ balance sheets, according to a Deloitte survey – up [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD in association with GFT April 17, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● On Tuesday, RBS will hold its AGM. The Treasury, on behalf of British taxpayers, still owns the majority of its shares. ● Tesco will report on Tuesday. Every little helps. Fellow FTSE 100 companies Reed Elsevier and Hargreaves Lansdown will be posting first quarter and third quarter results respectively. It’s a busy [...]
Spring in the air at Bellway as profits rise March 30, 2011 BRITISH homebuilder Bellway expects its profits this year to grow by a third after a strengthening spring market gave encouragement for an increase in sales. Posting a 26 per cent jump in first-half profits yesterday, the company said site visitors and reservations have returned to the pattern of a “traditional spring market” in spite of [...]
Consumer confidence falls as Budget fuels pessimism on the UK economy July 13, 2010 FEARS about the emergency Budget gave consumer confidence another knock in June, according to the monthly Nationwide survey published today. The overall index of consumer confidence fell for the second month in a row to 63 points, a similar level to 12 months ago. Although the present situations index rose slightly, the expectations index was [...]
Begbies warns over companies on the brink April 13, 2011 The number of British companies in serious financial distress soared in the first quarter with restaurants, professional services businesses and the leisure industry in particular difficulty, a report showed. Begbies Traynor, a corporate recovery company that helps wind up or restructure firms, said its Red Flag Alert database showed 186,554 UK businesses were facing significant [...]
Begbies warns over companies on the brink April 13, 2011 The number of British companies in serious financial distress soared in the first quarter with restaurants, professional services businesses and the leisure industry in particular difficulty, a report showed. Begbies Traynor, a corporate recovery company that helps wind up or restructure firms, said its Red Flag Alert database showed 186,554 UK businesses were facing significant [...]
HSBC drags FTSE back as investors eye inflation forecasts May 11, 2011 Banking giant HSBC sapped some of the confidence from the blue chip index today as it announced that it was aiming to slash costs by £2.1bn. The news followed a bruising start to the week for banks who have already earmarked billions for potential payouts over dubious insurance protection sales. HSBC fell 1.3 per cent [...]