First Group to sell off Greyhound arm amid activist pressure as losses narrow May 30, 2019 First Group has announced plans to sell parts of its operations including its US Greyhound buses. Shares in the FTSE 250 company, which has been facing pressure from an activist investor to split up the business, jumped 13 per cent per cent in early morning trading after it also announced plans to separate its First Bus operations [...]
Activist investor hits out at First Group over results meeting ban May 29, 2019 An activist investor in First Group is furious that it has not been allowed to attend the transport company's full-year results meeting tomorrow. First Group is locked in a boardroom battle with US hedge fund Coast Capital, which owns a 9.7 per cent stake in the firm and is its largest shareholder. Coast has demanded [...]
US investor fires opening shot in battle for control of transport company Firstgroup May 13, 2019 Transport company Firstgroup said today that activist investor Coast Capital has requisitioned a general meeting in an attempt to take control of its board of directors. US investment management firm Coast Capital, which owns 9.77 per cent of the company’s shares, wants to remove six of the eleven current directors and replace them with seven of [...]
New chief takes the wheel at bus provider First Group as losses increase November 13, 2018 Rail and bus provider First Group has named Matthew Gregory as its new chief executive, as losses before tax increased to £4.6m. The former finance chief and interim chief operating officer steps into the job six months after boss Tim O’Toole left the company when it posted a £327m loss for the financial year. Shares grew nine [...]
FirstGroup off track after UK franchise losses and drop in oil prices July 14, 2015 Rail and bus company FirstGroup has warned its revenue is likely to disappoint in the year ahead after the loss of key UK contracts while low oil prices hit business in North America. Its UK rail division recorded like-for-like passenger revenue growth of 6.3 per cent in the three months ending 30 June. But it said [...]
FirstGroup share price rises after US progress helps offset UK rail losses June 10, 2015 Shares in bus and rail operator FirstGroup closed up 6.37 per cent yesterday, after it announced positive results. It announced adjusted profit before tax of £163.9m, and adjusted operating profit of £303.6m for the year ending March 31. The group’s rail business in the UK rail has suffered after it failed to win contracts to [...]
FirstGroup gets back on track with UK bus and rail transformation plan April 1, 2015 FirstGroup has faced a difficult couple of years, but its focus on transforming UK bus and rail operations is starting to pay off. The figures In a trading update posted today, the train and bus operator said it expects full-year growth across all its UK offerings, in line with expectations. It said it had [...]
FirstGroup’s Great Western contract win puts transport giant back on track March 23, 2015 After a string of disappointments, rail operator FirstGroup has at last had a bit of good news. Light appeared at the end of the tunnel for rail operator FirstGroup yesterday, with shares jumping 4.16 per cent after the company announced that its First Great Western franchise has been extended for another four years. Shareholders [...]
FirstGroup share price edges up after securing Great Western rail franchise March 23, 2015 FirstGroup's share price edged up this morning after it announced a deal with the Department of Transport (DfT) to operate the First Great Western rail franchise all the way through to 1 April 2019. The deal could be extended by a year at the DfT's discretion. After losing a series of bids for rail franchises [...]
New chair Wolfhart Hauser aims to get FirstGroup back on track March 11, 2015 FirstGroup has announced new chairman Wolfhart Hauser will take over from John McFarlane in July, becoming the firm’s third chairman in less than 18 months. Hauser has been the chief executive of Intertek, the London-listed safety and quality service provider, since 2005. He is also is a non-executive director of Associated British Foods and of [...]