Unilever buoyed by price hikes April 26, 2012 Consumer goods giant Unilever warned of a tough economic environment and higher inputs costs as its price hikes and emerging market growth helped first-quarter sales beat forecasts with a 8.4 per cent rise. The Anglo-Dutch maker of brands like Dove and Knorr is facing slower growth in developed nations while competition from key rivals is [...]
Figures to show the state of the UK economy as Davos meeting begins January 20, 2013 FIGURES this week from the Office for National Statistics will reveal whether the UK economy shrank in the fourth quarter of 2012 and over the year as a whole. “We expect the economy to have contracted by 0.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of last year which would limit year-on-year growth to 0.2 [...]
Unilever sales lifted by price hikes and emerging markets April 26, 2012 CONSUMER goods giant Unilever beat forecasts with an 8.4 per cent rise in first-quarter sales yesterday, helped by price hikes and emerging market growth. The Anglo-Dutch maker of brands like Dove and Knorr is battling high input costs from rising commodity prices such as crude and vegetable oils, and slow growth in developed nations. It [...]
Buffett’s taste for beans gives deal outlook a shot in the arm February 14, 2013 IF confirmation were needed that mega-deals are back on the agenda, then the Sage of Omaha certainly provided it yesterday. Buffett’s $28bn move for Heinz is the biggest deal this year in an already booming market, with the value of transactions in the last week alone – including Liberty Global’s bid for Virgin Media and [...]
Croda sells Italian business November 1, 2012 Speciality pharmaceutical company Croda, which counts Procter & Gamble and Unilever among its customers, is to sell its Italian arm to a private company in the country. It is believed to be sold for between £1 and £2m. Completion of the deal is expected to take place before the year end. Meanwhile, Croda said its [...]
Croda takes on JP Morgan Caz October 31, 2012 Global manufacturer of speciality chemicals Croda, which counts Procter & Gamble, Unilever, L’Oreal and Estee Lauder among its customers, yesterday said it had appointed JP Morgan Cazenove as joint broker, alongside Morgan Stanley, with immediate effect. In July it reported a six per cent increase in first-half profit, thanks to increased sales of high margin [...]
Croda takes on JP Morgan Caz October 31, 2012 Global manufacturer of speciality chemicals Croda, which counts Procter & Gamble, Unilever, L’Oreal and Estee Lauder among its customers, yesterday said it had appointed JP Morgan Cazenove as joint broker, alongside Morgan Stanley, with immediate effect. In July it reported a six per cent increase in first-half profit, thanks to increased sales of high margin [...]
Sales growth eases at Nestle as demand cools in Asian markets October 18, 2012 NESTLE’S sales growth slowed more than expected in the first nine months of the year as demand cooled in the emerging markets driving the world’s biggest food company. Underlying sales growth at the maker of KitKat chocolate bars and Maggi soup slowed to 6.1 per cent from 6.6 per cent in the first half. Growth [...]
FTSE 100 soars to a 4 1/2-year high as investors take heart from the US January 21, 2013 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 scaled fresh 4-1/2 year peaks yesterday, with signs of progress in US budget talks encouraging investors’ shift from low-yielding government bonds into higher risk, higher return equities. US Republican leaders signalled they would allow the government to raise the debt ceiling and borrow to prevent a default in the next three months [...]
European slowdown hits Danone October 17, 2012 French food group Danone said growth slowed sharply at its dairy division as shoppers in Italy and Spain switched to cheaper alternatives in recession conditions unlikely to ease into next year. Kicking off the third-quarter reporting season yesterday ahead of large food makers like Nestle and Unilever, the world’s largest yoghurt maker, whose brands include [...]