BEST OF THE BROKERS October 5, 2010 NATIONAL GRID JP Morgan Cazenove considers the Ofgem decision on the framework for the next transmission and gas distribution to be a friendly move for National Grid’s shareholders. The broker gives the energy giant a “neutral” rating and says the new finance director may offer a fresh look at the financing challenges facing National Grid [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WHAT IS SUPERGROUP’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS? July 15, 2010 KEITH BOWMAN | HARGREAVES LANSDOWN “In the wake of recent comments from both Burberry and ASOS, Supergroup is again proving that the consumer is still ‘alive and kicking’ and prepared to spend money on the right offering.” FREDDIE GEORGE | SEYMOUR PIERCE “The company is gaining traction in womenswear, the international opportunity has been significantly [...]
The rising star of online retail July 15, 2010 YOU’VE just given birth and one of the first things your husband asks you to do is to sign a cheque for your new boutique (Powder, based in Crouch End. ) That was Sarah Curran’s experience of the first hours of motherhood to son Jake, now seven-years old. It is no surprise that Curran says [...]
Asos sales up as co-founder makes £15m July 14, 2010 THE co-founder of ASOS has made £15m by selling a fifth of his shares as the online retailer posted a 54 per cent jump in first-quarter sales yesterday, fuelled by demand from abroad. Nick Robertson, 40, who founded Asos with business partner Quentin Griffiths, sold 1,683,424 shares yesterday at 890p each. It his first major [...]
Asos sales soar by 54 per cent July 14, 2010 ONLINE fashion retailer ASOS has posted a 54 per cent jump in first-quarter sales, fuelled by demand from abroad. The firm – which provides the latest fashions at cheap prices – made £61.7m of sales in the three months to 30 June. UK sales rose 32 per cent, while international sales were up 111 per [...]
Asos aims for £1bn as web sales thrive June 9, 2010 ONLINE fashion retailer Asos plans to invest £40m in its capacity after reporting a 44 per cent annual profit rise yesterday. The company is aiming to grow into a £1bn business within the next five years. It has signed a lease on a 1.2m sq ft warehouse in Barnsley as part of the strategy. Asos [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WILL ASOS’ SUCCESS CONTINUE? June 9, 2010 JEAN ROCHE | PANMURE GORDON “Asos has delivered a better-than-expected set of preliminary results. Current trading is very strong and the company has revealed plans to develop a large warehouse, which has future capacity of over £1bn, taking it toward its stated aim of achieving £1bn sales in five years time. We reiterate our buy [...]
ASOS remains firmly in fashion April 20, 2010 Online fashion retailer ASOS yesterday said it expects full-year profit to meet market expectations after annual sales rose a third and said the new year had started well, helped by continued growth overseas. The firm, which targets internet-savvy 18-34 year olds looking to emulate the designer looks of celebrities like Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and [...]
Tories gain more support for jobs tax pledge April 6, 2010 THE TORIES were last night claiming another victory in the battle over National Insurance, after three business leaders added their names to a letter condemning Labour plans to hike the “tax on jobs” after the election. Tory sources said that Yell chairman and ex-Merrill Lynch banker Bob Wigley had decided to support the campaign, along with [...]
Ocado sales jump 25pc in IPO warm-up March 22, 2010 OCADO, the online food retailer, has started a “beauty parade” of advisers for a stockmarket flotation after releasing a strong set of results which saw sales surge 25 per cent in a year. Investment banks queuing up to help guide Ocado through a summer initial public offering (IPO) include UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Nomura [...]