All City & finance articles – Page 494
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NewsN Brown on the acquisition trail after strong start to year
Home Shopping group N Brown is eyeing further acquisitions to drive growth as it revealed a strong first half.
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NewsTed Baker profits boosted as customers smarten up
Strong sales of formalwear at Ted Baker helped to drive a 25% increase in first-half profits as customers looked for smarter product during the downturn.
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NewsM&S urges caution despite increase in sales
Marks & Spencer beat second-quarter sales expectations but chief executive Marc Bolland remained cautious about prospects. Despite Bolland’s wariness, and a rise in costs such as marketing, analysts upgraded their forecasts ahead of a strategic update next month.
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OpinionTimes have changed, so must we
Rising costs and our failing ability to pay them means retail must change, says Neil Gillis
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NewsHomeform chief sets out his three-year plan
Kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms specialist Homeform’s new chief executive has laid out a three-year plan to increase profits and enable an exit for owner Sun European Partners.
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OpinionPrivate equity is shopping for retail deals
So far this year there have been 11 private equity-backed retail deals, representing more than 10% of all private equity transactions in 2010 and the third biggest sector focus after computer services and support services.
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NewsLacklustre sales fail to dent general stores
General stores rose over the week versus the All-share index, even edging up on Tuesday when the latest BRC sales data showed a lacklustre performance.
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NewsJeweller F Hinds sees profits sparkle
F Hinds, the family-run jewellery retailer, has seen profits for the year more than treble to £3.2m, up from £990,048 in 2009.
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NewsKesa’s French powers of recovery
Electricals group Kesa showed off its French business Darty to analysts last week to demonstrate some of the growth avenues open there.
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OpinionHistory repeating itself at M&S
Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose could be forgiven for feeling he is experiencing a bittersweet groundhog day.
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NewsProfits up, sales down at WH Smith
WH Smith has announced a 9% increase in full-year profits this morning.
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NewsKesa shares soar on Best Buy bid speculation
Speculation that a takeover of Anglo-French electrical group Kesa may be on the cards has prompted the retailer’s share price to soar.
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NewsN Brown first half profits up 5.5%
Home shopping retailer N Brown has revealed that its adjusted pre tax profit grew 5.5% to £44.1m in the six months to August 28.
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NewsWickes like-for-likes rise 0.6% in third quarter
DIY chain Wickes like-for-likes grew 0.6% in the 13 weeks to October 2.
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NewsAge of food discounter over as Aldi racks up £54m loss
Aldi, the German discounter that became a byword for the shift to value in the recession, has suffered a dramatic reversal of fortune, turning a £93m pre-tax profit in the UK and Ireland into a £54m loss last year.
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NewsAsos launches US site as overseas drive accelerates
Fashion etailer Asos has launched a dedicated US website as it hopes to tap into what it sees as the “enormous” potential of overseas sales.
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NewsToy retailers mop up after Woolworths’ demise
Toy retailers Toys R Us and The Entertainer have reported a strong year in 2009 after mopping up share left from the collapse of Woolworths.
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NewsWhistles turnaround on course after losses cut
Jane Shepherdson’s turnaround of Whistles is proving a success, with losses slashed and a return to profitability on the horizon.
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OpinionSainsbury’s stays a step ahead
Sainsbury’s boss Justin King should be feeling pretty pleased with himself. Having successfully silenced all the naysayers who said Sainsbury’s would be the first to suffer in the height of the recession, he is continuing to steer his ship onto a winning course as the economy improves.
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NewsAsia and Fresh & Easy give Tesco a little help
Food retail stocks lagged both their general retail peers and the market as a whole again despite a robust set of half-year results from Tesco.