Lancaster tips Tomkins to handle the pressure October 31, 2013 ENGLAND coach Stuart Lancaster has revealed he had no hesitation in awarding Joel Tomkins his first cap against Australia tomorrow due to the centre’s ability to handle big-game pressure. The 26-year-old will line up alongside four Saracens team-mates in Chris Ashton – the second most experienced player in the team – and fly-half Owen Farrell, [...]
Ashley offloads a £100m stake in Sports Direct February 26, 2013 SHARES in Sports Direct fell six per cent yesterday after founder Mike Ashley sold £100m of his majority stake in the sports retailer, taking the market by surprise. Ashley sold 25m shares at 400p, a seven per cent discount to Monday’s closing price, in an accelerated bookbuilding run by Goldman Sachs. The book was two [...]
Sports Direct’s profits continue winning streak February 22, 2013 SPORTS DIRECT has shrugged-off any signs of gloom on the high street after posting a 23 per cent rise in third quarter profit yesterday. The sports retailer, controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said group sales for the 13 weeks to 27 January rose 21 per cent to £589.5m, driven by strong growth in [...]
Sports Direct ends BAML link January 14, 2013 SPORTS Direct has parted ways with corporate broker Bank of America Merrill Lynch after six years. Mike Ashley’s retailer and the bank are believed to have ended the relationship by mutual consent at the end of last year. Ashley and BAML have worked together since Sports Direct floated in 2007, and are reported to have [...]
Crispin Odey boosts Ashley’s hopes of a £39m bonus pot December 13, 2012 CRISPIN ODEY, the influential hedge fund tycoon and Sports Direct investor, said yesterday he was fully in favour of the retailer reintroducing a bonus scheme that could hand its founder Mike Ashley a £39m windfall. Odey Asset Management is Sports Direct’s second largest shareholder after Ashley and holds a 6.58 per cent stake in the [...]
UK employment figures likely to show a rise in claimants last month December 9, 2012 UK employment figures are this week predicted to remain steady, in line with the weak economic background. “We forecast the October unemployment rate unchanged at 7.8 per cent and the November claimant count to increase by 6,400,” said Blerina Uruci from Barclays. Investors will this week be looking to America, where the Federal Reserve is [...]
Ashley’s naked ambition could help him win Sports Direct vote December 13, 2012 A man prepared to offend thousands of hardened Geordie football fans by renaming their place of worship the Sport Direct Arena (now plain old St James’s Park again) won’t be too bothered about entering into a renewed battle with City institutions over executive pay. But more than a handful of other executives will be interested [...]
JJB carve up set to give the lion’s share to Sports Direct September 16, 2012 THE SALE of doomed sports retailer JJB is set to be completed early this week, with the biggest slice of the firm’s 180 UK stores to go to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. Sources close to the deal said last night that the sale to Sports Direct, being handled by KPMG, was nearing completion although talks [...]
JJB carve up set to give the lion’s share to Sports Direct September 16, 2012 THE SALE of doomed sports retailer JJB is set to be completed early this week, with the biggest slice of the firm’s 180 UK stores to go to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. Sources close to the deal said last night that the sale to Sports Direct, being handled by KPMG, was nearing completion although talks [...]
Olympic boom fuels sales lift at Sports Direct October 24, 2012 BRITAIN’S biggest sporting goods retailer Sports Direct yesterday reported an 18 per cent rise in recent sales as customers caught London Olympics fever and kitted out children for a return to school. The group, which owns Sports Direct.com and Lillywhites stores as well as brands such as Slazenger, Lonsdale and Dunlop, said yesterday group total [...]