GlaxoSmithKline considers £17bn HIV wonder drugs split with Viiv Healthcare IPO October 22, 2014 Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is considering floating its HIV drugs business in a move that would see Viiv Healthcare among the top 40 companies in the FTSE 100 with a market valuation of up to £17bn. Chief executive Andrew Witty told reporters yesterday: “In line with our commitment to identifying ways to realise shareholder value, [...]
Marks & Spencer’s half year results – here’s what to look out for November 4, 2014 Marks & Spencer is due to report its first half results tomorrow morning, and the consensus is that it will be another gloomy one for the venerable British retailer. Analysts are saying the 770-store retailer will have racked up a 3.7 per cent decline in general merchandising like-for-likes during its second quarter. If [...]
Tesco rushes in new finance boss September 23, 2014 TESCO has rushed in its new finance director Alan Stewart to start two months earlier than planned after a £250m profit error and new industry data yesterday showing a slide in quarterly sales plunged the retailer into further turmoil. The retailer, which had billions of pounds knocked off its share price after revealing the error [...]
Tesco in further turmoil after profits tumble December 9, 2014 Investors fled for cover yesterday as Tesco warned on profits for the fourth time in five months, raising fears in the City that the ailing supermarket could become a takeover target. Analysts at investment bank Espirito Santo compared Tesco’s demise to that of Sears in 2004, when the US retailer – once the [...]
The best places to look for Black Friday deals 2014: John Lewis, Amazon, Marks & Spencer, Very, Curry’s PC World and Halfords November 24, 2014 Retailers are gearing up for Black Friday to be one of – if not the – biggest online shopping day of the year, with hundreds of promotions being planned to tempt consumers to join the spending bonanza. According to the Centre for Retail Research, shoppers will spend £1.32bn over the four days between Black [...]
Now Standard & Poor’s puts Tesco on negative credit watch September 24, 2014 It hasn't been a great week for Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, what with discovering a £250m black hole in his balance sheet, having to suspend four executives, and then being subjected to the humiliation of a series of regulators saying they were "keeping an eye" on the situation. Now, following in the footsteps of [...]
And the nominees are… September 7, 2014 TOMORROW: ACCOUNTANCY FIRM OF THE YEAR ALDI The German discounter has taken the British high street by storm. Aldi now has a 4.6 per cent share of the UK market, up more than one third in a year due to consumers choosing its quality and low prices over the more established retailers. It has even [...]
Tesco’s week from hell: £250m black hole, 16 per cent fall in share price since Friday September 26, 2014 Was this the week Tesco hit rock bottom? Having discovered a huge black hole in its finances, shares have fallen from Friday's closing price of 229.6p, to a low of 191.23p in early morning trading today. That's a fall of almost 17 per cent. Here's a handy, cut-out-and-keep guide to Tesco's week from hell Monday [...]
Banks lead the pack as FTSE bounces back – London Report October 6, 2014 GAINS in major bank stocks led Britain’s benchmark equity index higher yesterday, and troubled supermarket group Tesco rose after new board appointments. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index, which fell to its lowest closing level in nearly a year last week, closed up by 0.6 per cent, or 35.74 points, at 6,563.65 points. Among the financials, [...]
SSP share price rises as travel giant delivers jump in sales following IPO August 8, 2014 Food concessions giant SSP posted a 3.5 per cent rise in quarterly sales yesterday in its first set of results since floating last month. The group, which owns Upper Crust and also runs travel outlets for retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Starbucks, said like-for-like sales rose by 3.3 per cent in the three [...]