Burberry management reshuffle weighs on FTSE 100 February 7, 2013 The blue chip index was broadly flat in early deals, weighed down by luxury brand Burberry. This morning it announced a management shake-up, creating a new chief operating officer role and replacing its chief financial officer. Shares dropped 3.8 per cent in early deals. Investment manager Hargreaves Lansdown fell 2.25 per cent, after rallying more [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 3, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES F&C’s Bramson lines up target Edward Bramson, the activist investor who is executive chairman of F&C Asset Management, is preparing to take on another midsized UK public company. He has launched a second Guernsey vehicle, backed by Soros Fund Management, that will sit alongside Sherborne Investors Guernsey A, the fund through which Mr [...]
Olympic Games give boost to JD Wetherspoon after wet summer November 8, 2012 PUB chain giant JD Wetherspoon yesterday said a boost from the Olympic and Paralympic Games had led sales to rise by 11.1 per cent in the 13 week period to 28 October. The results suggested an upturn in the wider pub trade in late summer and early autumn, after wet weather in the previous quarter [...]
Olympic Games give boost to JD Wetherspoon after wet summer November 8, 2012 PUB chain giant JD Wetherspoon yesterday said a boost from the Olympic and Paralympic Games had led sales to rise by 11.1 per cent in the 13 week period to 28 October. The results suggested an upturn in the wider pub trade in late summer and early autumn, after wet weather in the previous quarter [...]
Owner of Frankie & Benny’s cashes in on austerity dining January 9, 2013 RESTAURANT Group said yesterday its turnover rose nine per cent last year as more people opted to eat out at its casual dining chains rather than high-end restaurants. The company, which owns the Frankie & Benny’s chains, said it expects to slightly beat analysts’ average forecast for pre-tax profit in the 52-week period of £64m. [...]
Best of the Brokers December 10, 2012 AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS UBS has cut its rating from “buy” to “neutral” for the chemicals producer. The stock is up around 50 per cent this year, and the valuation gap to its rivals is now closed, UBS thinks. ENTERPRISE INNS Morgan Stanley rates the pub owner “overweight” and has set a price target of 140p. [...]
Boss at Punch trades pints for Greggs pasties January 24, 2013 PUNCH TAVERNS boss Roger Whiteside will give up happy hours for elevenses when he becomes the new chief executive of bakery chain Greggs next month. Whiteside, who has been a non-executive director at Greggs since 2008, will succeed Ken McMeikan on 4 February, the firm said yesterday. McMeikan, who drove the government to retreat on [...]
FTSE 100 smashes through 6,200 barrier January 24, 2013 The blue chip index edged up in early trades, and smashed through the 6,200 barrier although disappointing results from US technology behemoth Apple weighed on sentiment. The company posted record profits last night, but warned of lower revenue growth in the coming months, which sent its shares down more than 10 per cent in after-hours [...]
Travel caterer cooks up strong sales rise December 12, 2012 SSP, the airport and railway station caterer, yesterday reported a 3.2 per cent rise in annual sales, boosted by its expansion in Asia and the US. The group, which runs more than 2,100 travel outlets for brands such as Marks & Spencer and Starbucks, said operating profit jumped 23.7 per cent to £61.5m on sales [...]
Spirit sales offset rising costs October 16, 2012 Spirit Pub Company reported full-year results in line with expectations yesterday and said it was working to strengthen its managed-pub estate in the face of rising costs and muted consumer demand. Spirit, which manages more than 800 pubs in Britain, saw sales at pubs open more than a year rise 4.8 per cent in the [...]