BAT finalises its acquisition of Protabaco October 12, 2011 British American Tobacco (BAT) has completed its $452m (£270m) swoop for Colombia’s Protabaco. The newly acquired firm is the second largest cigarette company in Colombia, selling 5.5bn domestic cigarettes in 2010. Its biggest brand, Mustang, is the country’s second best selling cigarette with a market share of around 18 per cent. BAT itself sold 708bn [...]
Jitters ahead of euro summit and downgrades sink FTSE December 8, 2011 BRITAIN’S top shares sank to their lowest close in more than a week yesterday, having endured another choppy session, as investors jostle for position ahead of a crucial European Union summit outcome today. Sentiment was hurt when European Central Bank president Mario Draghi cooled market expectations about the prospect of an acceleration in ECB bond [...]
BAT sales increase with price hikes October 26, 2011 British American Tobacco, the world’s second-biggest cigarette maker, increased its sales by seven per cent in the first nine months of the year after raising prices to offset a decline in overall demand. The London-based maker of Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes said price rises, good performances from these top four brands [...]
BAT in sales rise as price hikes kick-in October 26, 2011 BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT) lifted its sales by seven per cent in the first nine months of the year as the firm saw price rises and recovering volumes in the third quarter. The London-based maker of Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes said a good performance from these top four brands would help [...]
FTSE hits a five-week high on hope of a euro debt plan December 5, 2011 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 hit a five-week closing high yesterday with optimism rising that politicians can finally agree a deal to solve its debt crisis in a crunch week for the Eurozone. European Union leaders, urged on anxiously by the United States, are seeking agreement on a convincing rescue plan that has eluded them for two [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 16, 2011 FENNER Citigroup rates the engineer “buy / high risk” with a target price of 478p. The broker thinks Fenner’s recent end of year statement suggested trading had been ahead of expectations, with strength in both its mining conveyor belt and advance engineering divisions. Citi has upgraded its 2011 earnings per share forecasts by seven per [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 16, 2011 FENNER Citigroup rates the engineer “buy / high risk” with a target price of 478p. The broker thinks Fenner’s recent end of year statement suggested trading had been ahead of expectations, with strength in both its mining conveyor belt and advance engineering divisions. Citi has upgraded its 2011 earnings per share forecasts by seven per [...]
FTSE 100 climbs on hopes EU summit will tackle crisis October 26, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index last night reached its highest closing level for two-and-half months. Defensive stocks performed well as investors awaited the outcome of a European Union summit, which opened last night, to resolve the two-year-old sovereign debt crisis. Investors also rewarded companies reporting strong figures in a patchy quarterly results season, with BG Group [...]
FTSE 100 climbs on hopes EU summit will tackle crisis October 26, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index last night reached its highest closing level for two-and-half months. Defensive stocks performed well as investors awaited the outcome of a European Union summit, which opened last night, to resolve the two-year-old sovereign debt crisis. Investors also rewarded companies reporting strong figures in a patchy quarterly results season, with BG Group [...]
Euro exuberance pushes the FTSE near three-month high October 27, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index jumped to a near three-month high yesterday as bullish investors uncorked their champagne bottles and toasted Europe’s plan to tackle its debt crisis. The upbeat news from Europe boosted appetite for riskier assets such as banking and commodity stocks, which helped the UK’s benchmark index surge 160.58 points or 2.9 per [...]