Another Anglo American asset sale: Troubled miner sells off Callide coal mine in Australia January 20, 2016 Troubled Anglo American has sold another Australian mine to weather the deepening commodities crisis which has struck it hard. Having shed over 84 per cent of its value in the past two years, the FTSE 100-listed miner is now selling its entire stake in the Callide thermal coal mine in Queensland, its second Australian asset [...]
Royal Dutch Shell’s share price falls as energy giant says earnings will drop dramatically amid cost-cutting measures January 20, 2016 Royal Dutch Shell's share price fell this morning after the energy giant warned that earnings will fall dramatically for the full year as a result of lower oil prices. Shell said its full year 2015 earnings on a CCS basis, excluding identified items, was expected to be in the region of $10.4bn – 10.7bn – nearly half [...]
WH Smith’s share price climbs after stationer ups profit guidance after strong Christmas sales – and yes, we’re still buying colouring-in books January 20, 2016 WH Smith's share price rose this morning, after the stationer said it expects full-year profits to be ahead of expectations, after the group recorded solid growth – with adult colouring-in books once again receiving credit for driving sales. The figures Total sales for the 20 weeks to 16 January across the group rose four per cent, [...]
Paws for thought as Pets at Home customers go crazy for posh dogfood January 20, 2016 Pets at Home has posted strong sales growth in its third quarter – thanks, in part, to a craze for "advanced nutrition" for their pets. Only the best for little Fido… The numbers The retailer posted like-for-like sales growth of 2.2 per cent in the 12 weeks to 1 January, with 1.7 per cent growth in merchandise, which was [...]
BG Group’s share price falls, despite chief executive Helge Lund confirming results will come in “at or above” expectations January 20, 2016 BG Group's full year results could come in ahead of expectations, the energy giant said this morning. The group, which is currently edging towards a £36bn takeover by Royal Dutch Shell, said improved performance in some areas, and a post-tax gain of "at least" $600m from disposals, re-measurements and impairments, meant the business was looking strong [...]
Asylum seekers claim contractor G4S put them in houses with “identifiable” red doors January 20, 2016 Asylum contractor G4S has been forced to paint asylum seekers’ front doors over after claims red paint singled them out as targets for abuse, with the contractor facing an inquiry from the Home Office over the claims. Asylum seekers in the North East told The Times they’d been targeted, claiming they were easy to identify because nearly [...]
Asian markets tumble as oil hovers nearer $27 January 20, 2016 Asian markets have tumbled overnight, after oil wiped out most of the gains it made this week. Last night West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dipped as low as $27.55 per barrel, while Brent crude fell to $28.28. Yesterday both rose above $30 for the first time since the weekend, before erasing those gains. The news [...]
Wetherspoon’s share price plummets on warning that profits will come at lower end of expectations after labour costs start to bite January 20, 2016 JD Wetherspoon's share price tumbled more than nine per cent this morning, after warning that full year profits will be towards the lower end of expectations, as increases in labour costs eat into the bottom line. The figures Like-for-like sales at the pub group rose 3.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to 17 January, while total [...]
Global financial market turmoil dents investor sentiment January 20, 2016 Investor sentiment has fallen to its second lowest level since July 2013, according to figures released this morning. The Lloyds Bank Private Banking investor sentiment index, compiled from survey data, dropped to a score of 4.55 per cent this month. It was the lowest since September last year when a big rout in Chinese stocks sent [...]
Hometrack: London asking prices accelerated in December January 20, 2016 London asking prices have risen 13.8 per cent over the last 12 months, according to figures released this morning by property market analysts Hometrack. The figures showed prices in the capital were the rising at the second-fastest rate in the country. The UK-wide index, which covers homes in cities, showed a rise of 11.4 per cent [...]