LONDON REPORT May 13, 2012 THIS week will see a string of stormy annual meetings, which will be closely watched for signs that the “shareholder spring” is taking hold. The market is also due to digest some key earnings reports on Thursday and Facebook’s long-awaited US float on Friday. However, today looks set to be relatively quiet on the corporate [...]
Greene King cautious as pub food boosts its sales September 6, 2011 BRITISH pubs and brewery group Greene King said higher demand for pub food helped it partly offset the impact of cost inflation and lower consumer morale in the 18 weeks to 4 September, and reported a rise in like-for-like sales. “The trading outlook remains uncertain as UK consumers are having to cope with rising costs, [...]
£140m deal for Makro UK will boost Booker May 30, 2012 FOOD wholesaler Booker aims to turn around the loss-making cash and carry firm Makro UK after taking it off the hands of German retailer Metro in a £140m deal. It will hand Metro £15.8m and a 9.99 per cent stake in Booker as the two firms agree to work together on improving their supply chains [...]
CITY VIEWS: WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CHANCELLOR’S BUDGET?* March 21, 2012 AMI RICHARDS | FIDELITY “It seems that, overall, the Budget looks like a good thing. The personal allowance increase was needed. People are struggling to survive because things are so hard, so the more-than £1,000 increase should hopefully help.” COLIN HALL | GRESHAM COMPUTING “I’m happy the Budget didn’t mess too badly with childcare. The [...]
CITY VIEWS: WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CHANCELLOR’S BUDGET?* March 21, 2012 AMI RICHARDS | FIDELITY “It seems that, overall, the Budget looks like a good thing. The personal allowance increase was needed. People are struggling to survive because things are so hard, so the more-than £1,000 increase should hopefully help.” COLIN HALL | GRESHAM COMPUTING “I’m happy the Budget didn’t mess too badly with childcare. The [...]
PUBS WAR CAN WAIT AS JOE LEWIS EXPECTS NEW GREAT-GRANDCHILD September 14, 2011 ALL EYES remain on financier Joe Lewis, whose surprise appearance in London on his superyacht Aviva ten days ago has been satisfactorily explained by this week’s hostile move to take control of pub chain Mitchells & Butlers. Case closed. Or is it? As ever with the enigmatic Bahamas-based billionaire, the truth is rather more surprising [...]
RAPID RESPONSES April 18, 2012 Freedom in dispute [Re: UK is wrong to have turned its back on individual freedom, Tuesday] Individuals have rights, but those rights come with consequences. You have a right to smoke and drive booze and live off fast food. But if you then demand free treatment on the NHS, then the rest of us have [...]
Tobacco sellers furious over steep rise in duties March 21, 2012 THE TOBACCO industry has criticised a tax hike of five per cent over inflation on its products, which will cost smokers 37p more per pack of 20 cigarettes. Local shopkeeper and Tobacco Retailers Alliance spokesperson John Abbott highlighted tobacco smuggling, more underage people buying on the black market and corner shops closing down as “negative knock-on [...]
Diamond Jubilee events May 17, 2012 Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant 2pm, Sunday 3 June, Battersea Bridge One of the highlights of the Jubilee weekend will be the Thames Pageant, where up to a thousand boats will gather on the river, from the smallest rowing boat to giant military vessels. The flotilla will make its way down the Thames, starting at Battersea [...]
Wetherspoon margins hit by VAT costs January 18, 2012 JD WETHERSPOON reported better-than-expected sales in the Christmas period but its chairman Tim Martin called on the chancellor to rethink “punishing” tax increases levied on the pub sector. Martin said the company is still on course to open around 50 pubs in the current financial year but warned that it may scale back future expansion [...]