Tough construction sector in the UK weighs on Speedy revenues October 17, 2013 CONSTRUCTION tools provider Speedy Hire yesterday blamed a challenging housing market for falling revenues in the UK and Ireland, yet pointed to rising profits abroad. Revenue dropped by 2.1 per cent in the firm’s first half in the UK and Ireland – 2.6 per cent in the first quarter and 1.6 per cent in the [...]
New Weetabix owner milks strong growth October 3, 2013 WEETABIX, the iconic cereal brand which also owns Alpen as well as Ready Brek, defied one of the worst wheat harvests in over half a century to post a six per cent rise in sales last year. The company, which was forced to scale back production of some of its mini ranges after UK crops [...]
Berkeley sees forward sales break £1.5bn September 2, 2013 AN IMPROVING housing market and a rise in the number of UK buyers has helped forward sales at housebuilder Berkeley Group top £1.5bn. Speaking at the group’s annual general meeting yesterday, chairman Tony Pidgley said trading in the four months to 31 August was in line with expectations and that Berkeley was on track to [...]
Foxtons returns to market at £649m as stocks gear towards housing recovery September 20, 2013 London estate agents Foxtons has floated on the London Stock Exchange at 230p a share. (Release) Market capitalisation for the company is about £649m with gross proceeds raised of £390m. Our deputy editor David Hellier writes: STRONG demand for shares in Foxtons, the London-focused estate agency chain, was last night expected to push the group’s [...]
Buyers queuing for homes, says Barratt’s chief September 11, 2013 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments yesterday said queues were forming for its housing schemes for the first time since the financial crisis, as the market recovery spreads beyond southeast England. Britain’s largest housebuilder by volume, said yesterday that buyer appetite for its homes was so strong that for some sites it was making five to 10 sales [...]
Consumer firms to spark next flotation frenzy October 6, 2013 BRITISH department store House of Fraser is on the cusp of appointing advisers to explore plans for a float of the chain, amid a resurgence in consumer–focused brands looking to list in London. The chain is thought to have held a beauty parade of investment banks, laying plans for a £300m float after the Christmas [...]
Housemovers heat up Aga sales as chief exec cheers rising orders August 21, 2013 A PICK-UP in the level of housing transactions has helped to warm Aga Rangemaster’s sales in the second quarter, according to the cooker-maker’s chief executive. William McGrath said after a slow start to the year, it had seen recent trading improve, with cooker orders up eight per cent at the half year. Revenues edged up [...]
Retailers set for best Xmas sales since pre-crisis October 14, 2013 BRITISH retailers are set to enjoy their best growth in Christmas sales since the financial crisis, according to a report published yesterday that forecast consumers would spend at least £2bn more than in 2012. Market research specialist Verdict predicted that spending in the fourth quarter would rise 2.2 per cent from the same period in [...]
Monty Python’s property circus November 21, 2013 Milkwood Studios, purpose built for the comedy legends, is a chance to live in a part of British culture BRITAIN rejoiced this week as a part of our cultural heritage was brought back to life. The comedy supergroup that is Monty Python will reunite for the first time in 30 years for a one-off show [...]
House firm Miller’s revenues soar September 12, 2013 House-building group Miller yesterday posted a 27 per cent jump in half-year revenues to £361.5m and a nine-fold rise in profits to £4m as sales and asking prices rose. Privately-owned Miller, which completed 819 homes across the UK in the period, said it has already secured buyers for 92 per cent of its full-year target [...]