Scandal-hit blood-testing company Theranos to formally dissolve with stakeholders receiving nothing September 5, 2018 Embattled blood-testing company Theranos will formally dissolve and hand over its remaining cash to creditors, shareholders have been told. Chief executive David Taylor said the company – once valued at $9bn (£6.9bn) – had run “out of time” in its hunt for investment or a buyer for its assets. In an email obtained by the [...]
Proper corporate governance rules would save the UK from a crisis like Theranos September 11, 2018 The spectacular downfall of Theranos, the US healthtech company, makes a terrific story: a disrupter startup run by a university drop-out, who modelled her persona on Steve Jobs (right down to her black turtleneck sweaters), and became a virtual messiah figure for many in Silicon Valley. For those who aren’t familiar, Theranos promised cheap, accessible, pain-free [...]
Boots cuts 220 photo labs putting 400 jobs at risk March 1, 2017 Boots has announced it is closing 220 of its photo labs across the UK, including five in London, as weak demand for photo film services finally takes its toll. The closure of the in-store labs will put 400 jobs at risk, although a Boots spokesperson said the company would try to offer retraining and opportunities [...]
Walgreens Boots Alliance posts a 15 per cent slide in net earnings, sending its share price lower despite beating expectations July 6, 2016 Walgreens Boots Alliance, the company that has controlled UK high street pharmacy chain Boots since 2014, has reported analyst estimate beating results but has failed to stop a share sell off. Shares were down by over three per cent in New York following the results announcement. For the third quarter the company reported earnings per share [...]
CVS shares slide after cuts to its full-year profit expectations November 8, 2016 US pharmacy chain CVS Health has cut its full-year profit forecast, sending shares lower in New York. The company blamed the cuts on slowing prescription growth and said it expected to lose more than 40m retail prescriptions in 2017. The loss of contracts to rivals – including one for the US military – has dragged on [...]
Sainsbury’s hires former Boots boss as retail and operations director September 30, 2016 Supermarket Sainsbury's has hired a veteran of the UK retail sector as its new retail and operations director. The company has appointed former Boots managing director Simon Roberts to the role. Roberts was most recently executive vice president of pharmaceutical retailer Walgreens Boots Alliance and president of Boots in the UK & Ireland. Prior to that, [...]
Boots’ UK boss Simon Roberts set to quit in July June 9, 2016 Boots' UK boss Simon Roberts is set to quit the company in July to "pursue new opportunities". Roberts, who is also executive vice-president of Boots' American owner Walgreens Boots Alliance, said that the pharmacy chain now needs a "new leader to take the business forward". Roberts joined Boots from Marks & Spencer in 2003 and was promoted to president as part [...]
CVS Health falls short and pares back forecasts August 2, 2016 CVS Health – a US pharmacy chain and healthcare business – has missed expectations and been forced to lower its full-year guidance. CVS reported a profit of $924m (£636m), or 86 cents a share for its second quarter, down from $1.27bn in the year before. Revenue rose 18 per cent to $43.7bn, below analysts’ expectations of [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open October 20, 2016 Markets are further backing a Clinton victory in the US presidential election next month after last night's final debate, while the European Central Bank is expected to keep policy on hold when it meets this afternoon. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm London time. US futures are pointing higher [...]
80pc of UK retail chairmen believe Brexit would hit the UK’s economy, a new survey argues June 8, 2016 80 per cent of the UK's retail chairmen believe Brexit would negatively affect the economy, according to a new survey. Korn Ferry surveyed 50 retail chairmen in organisations with a combined turnover of more than £191,500m, finding substantial fears around a vote to leave. However, only 64 per cent said that they would vote to [...]