Construction projects stalled February 11, 2010 NEW construction orders were flat in the final three months of 2009 on the previous quarter while a survey showed that new projects are under threat in the run-up to the election. Data revealed that while new orders jumped 20.8 per cent in December on the previous month, on a quarterly basis orders showed no [...]
The doctor’s ticket to success August 19, 2010 FOR a business venture to get off the ground, it needs to fill a gap in the market. Robin Wells’ latest venture mytrainticket.co.uk has found more of a gulf than a gap. The serial entrepreneur/angel investor came across the business opportunity – a rail version of air travel ticket booking sites – 18 months ago. [...]
Rok pre-tax profit dives by 50pc August 17, 2010 BUILDING repairs and maintenance firm Rok said first-half pre-tax profit was down 50 per cent, after it warned last week earnings would be hit by accounting problems and suspended its chief financial officer. Rok, which on August said on 11 August it found “serious failings” in its plumbing, heating and electrical (PHE) business, said revenues [...]
Giant predicts property pain September 1, 2010 HOUSE prices could crash by up to 20 per cent as interest rates rise, the outgoing head of Britain’s largest retail stockbroker warned yesterday. Peter Hargreaves, who steps down as chief executive of Hargreaves Lansdown today, said residential real estate values would be squeezed by tightening monetary policy while commercial property would be hit by [...]
Santander to be grilled by Commission September 22, 2010 SPAIN’S Santander will join the UK’s largest banks in facing individual grillings by the government’s independent banking commission when the private phase of the review gets under way next year. The commission’s official consultation launches tomorrow when ex-OFT boss Sir John Vickers, the chairman, publishes an initial “issues paper” setting out its agenda. The two [...]
Chemring buys Roke to shore up counter-terrorism branch August 10, 2010 BRITISH arms group Chemring has bought engineering company Roke from Siemens for £55m, it announced yesterday. Chemring said the acquisition of the counter-improvised explosive devices (IEDs) specialist will take the group to the forefront of homeland security and offer entry points to other markets such as surveillance. Roke builds counter-IED equipment used by British forces [...]
JC Flowers in mutual deal July 11, 2010 PRIVATE equity firm JC Flowers is in advanced talks with building society Kent Reliance to create a joint venture which could pave the way for a new “mini super-mutual”, transforming the fortunes of the ailing sector. If the deal goes ahead, Kent Reliance will transfer all of its assets and liabilities over to the newly-created [...]
JC Flowers in mutual deal July 11, 2010 PRIVATE equity firm JC Flowers is in advanced talks with building society Kent Reliance to create a joint venture which could pave the way for a new “mini super-mutual”, transforming the fortunes of the ailing sector. If the deal goes ahead, Kent Reliance will transfer all of its assets and liabilities over to the newly-created [...]
Cameron orders diplomats to be more business minded July 22, 2010 DIPLOMATS must put securing private-sector contracts at the heart of their work, Prime Minister David Cameron said in a speech in New York. The government is also expected to consider opening up applications for senior civil service jobs – including ambassador posts around the world – to people from the private sector to help engineer [...]
Solid progress for Quintain despite property downturn August 10, 2010 PROPERTY group Quintain yesterday said its strategic business plan is well underway after it achieved two of the milestones it set itself in June and added a chunk to its annualised income in the first quarter of the year. The group said it had added £3.5m to its annualised income since the end of the [...]