Satchel brand gets third shop September 1, 2014 THE CAMBRIDGE Satchel Company is opening a six-storey flagship shop in Covent Garden after receiving £12m funding from Index Ventures earlier this year. The traditional-style satchel company, which founder Julie Deane started as a kitchen sink venture in 2008, now has a turnover of around £15m. The new store, the second in London, will open [...]
UK companies want to remain in the EU but with more decision making in Westminster August 31, 2014 Most UK businesses want Britain to remain in the European Union, but with greater powers awarded to Westminster, a survey revealed yesterday, as Prime Minister David Cameron won crucial support to increase his say in Brussels. A British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) survey of 3,200 firms found 60 per cent believe staying in the EU, [...]
City closes in on prime West End property values August 31, 2014 HOUSE values in the City of London are catching up with the West End, while Dockland prices are suffering because of oversupply, research shows. Analysis from high-end real estate agent Beauchamp Estates reveals the average price of new or second-hand properties in the City has climbed to £739,546 for the last 12 months, compared to [...]
Carnival goers defy the rain August 26, 2014 DOWNPOURS failed to dampen the spirits of festival-goers and performers at the Notting Hill Carnival yesterday. But the good mood was soured by violence in the afternoon, with 11 reported knife attacks and six men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Police last night invoked powers to stop and search for weapons.
Nick Clegg joins directors over migration plea August 25, 2014 Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg last night joined a chorus of senior figures calling for overseas students to be excluded from immigration figures. The Liberal Democrat leader echoed a demand from Tory former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine, and the Institute of Directors, for a more flexible approach to student visas. Clegg, who is on [...]
Kentz shareholders vote for £1.2bn takeover by SNC-Lavalin August 11, 2014 Kentz shareholders yesterday approved the engineering firm’s takeover of the business by Canadian rival, SNC-Lavalin. At an extraordinary general meeting in London, 99.3 per cent of investors voted for the C$2.1bn (£1.2bn) cash offer, which will give shareholders 935p per share – a 33 per cent premium on Friday’s closing price SNC-Lavalin said the acquisition [...]
Sir Mike Rake in overdrive to chair roadside recovery firm RAC August 4, 2014 CBI president Sir Mike Rake is the frontrunner to become chairman of the RAC breakdown recovery service. The deputy chairman of Barclays is in talks for the role, ahead of the RAC’s potential £2bn stock market listing, according to Sky News. The breakdown service, owned by private equity group Carlyle, is expected to announce its [...]
Profit warnings at a three-year high in 2014 July 27, 2014 UK- listed companies issued the highest number of profit warnings since 2011 in this year’s first half. Despite strong signs of recovery in the economy, companies say pricing pressures and currency headwinds are denting expectations. Quoted companies issued 137 warnings in the first six months of 2014, up nine per cent on the same period [...]
Qatar Investment Authority sells a third of its stake in LSE Group July 9, 2014 Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is set to cut its 15 per cent stake in LSE Group, the owner of the London Stock Exchange, by a third. The deal comes ahead of a rights issue in September by LSE Group to fund the $2.7bn (£1.6bn) purchase of Frank Russell, the US index compiler. The Middle Eastern [...]
Value of Blur projects rising July 9, 2014 ONLINE services group Blur said yesterday that the value of projects submitted to its exchange increased by more than 200 per cent year-on-year to just over US$16m (£9.3m) in the first half of 2014. In a trading update the company said “s-commerce is being increasingly adopted by enterprise customers, with Amazon, Solvay, UTI, Menard, Incisive [...]
