Cirrus snaps up British rival Wolfson for £291m April 29, 2014 AUDIO semiconductor-maker Wolfson Microelectronics has agreed a £291m takeover by Texas rival Cirrus Logic. Announced yesterday, the cash deal will see Wolfson’s shareholders receive 235p per share, a 76 per cent premium to the share’s value prior to the deal. The valuation still marks a significant drop from Wolfson’s peak in 2006 when the Edinburgh-based [...]
Getting property back in business April 24, 2014 As residential prices soar, developers are turning commercial spaces into homes THE DARK dark satanic mills of William Blake’s Jerusalem were once a dominant fixture in the bustling life of industrial London. It wasn’t that long ago that the city produced condiments like sugar, honey, jam and vinegar, while warehouses stored valuable goods that were [...]
Gehry and Foster unveil Battersea Power Station designs April 7, 2014 Architects Frank Gehry and Norman Foster unveiled their designs yesterday for the next phase of development at Battersea Power Station that will include 1,300 homes on either side of new high street forming the gateway to the landmark building. It will be the first building in London for the Canadian-American Gehry, whose best known works [...]
Perfecting the art of seduction with bespoke interiors March 28, 2014 Melissa York talks to Julia Reynolds, the saleswoman who makes every viewing a singular experience THE next time you walk into a show home, take a good sniff. It’s likely that a lot of thought has gone into what permeates your nostrils. The days of sales teams brewing coffee or arranging flowers at strategic intervals [...]
Taylor Wimpey announces special dividend on profit jump February 26, 2014 Taylor Wimpey is the latest house builder to report impressive results on the back of a surging housing market. The developer saw profit before tax jump 47.6 per cent last year, to £268.4m. It said it saw a “significant step in both interest levels and sales rates” because of Help to Buy. It said it [...]
New York Report: Factory figures help S&P 500 to record close April 1, 2014 US STOCKS rose for a third straight session yesterday, with the S&P 500 ending at a record close, after positive data on factory activity indicated economic growth was gaining traction following a harsh winter. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity rose to 53.7 in March, its second straight [...]
The stranglehold that’s closing in on Airbnb April 30, 2014 Airbnb is a company thriving on the sharing economy. The online platform enables people to rent out space in or their entire home to someone else for a short-term stay. Gluing traditional house swap sentiment with a growing appetite for sharing and localism, it gives people the opportunity to make money when it’s tight, and [...]
Wall St The Week Ahead: Biotech stocks slide likely to hit US earnings April 14, 2014 THE wrenching selloff in US high-growth technology and biotech shares could leave investors braced for more than a minor pullback when earnings pick up speed this week. First-quarter earnings estimates have fallen sharply as many companies have blamed the brutal winter for weak outlooks. With high-valuation stocks under pressure, earnings could be subjected to even [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 14 May 2014 May 13, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Danone in talks over medical sale Danone is in talks with Nestle and other potential buyers over the disposal of most of its medical nutrition division, as it eyes an expansion of its baby food business. The French group, which is being advised by JP Morgan, stands to raise up to €5bn (£4.07bn) [...]
Analyst Views: Did Kingfisher’s strong results mask any underlying concerns? March 25, 2014 RICHARD HUNTER | HARGREAVES LANSDOWN Kingfisher is running a tight ship and even before yesterday’s reaction, the share price had risen 41 per cent over the last year. Market sentiment has tended to be guarded given the French exposure, but consensus has recently nudged up to a buy, and is likely to remain anchored after [...]