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  • BAE stands firm over SFO probe

    Wednesday 14 Oct 2009

    Defence giant BAE Systems today vowed to deal with any issues that arise from the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) investigations into allegations of bribery “at the appropriate time and, if necessary, in court”. The SFO is seeking consent from the Attorney General to charge the UK blue chip with ‘offences relating to overseas corruption’.

  • Whitbread stays cautious on hotel expansion

    Tuesday 13 Oct 2009

    Having seen sales at Costa Coffee surge by more than 20% as it continues expanding at the expense of pricier rivals, expanding the coffee chain is surely a no-brainer for owner Whitbread.

  • Postal strike set for 22 October

    Tuesday 13 Oct 2009

    National postal strikes could begin on Thursday 22 October unless the union and Royal Mail sort out their differences, although that seems unlikely.

  • Housing market strongest since May 2007

    Tuesday 13 Oct 2009

    Britain’s housing market improved in September as demand continued to outstrip supply, with the number of surveyors reporting rising prices at its highest in well over two years. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the number of surveyors and estate agents reporting an increase in prices beat the number recording a fall by 22%

  • Best finish for Footsie in 12½ months

    Monday 12 Oct 2009

    UK shares finished at their best levels in over a year Monday and, despite a few sellers appearing late on, the FTSE 100 ended the session above 5,200. Insurers Old Mutual, Standard Life and Legal & General were in demand all day. Rising stock markets are always good news for their investment portfolios. Oil prices above $73 a barrel helped BP and Royal Dutch Shell

  • Tristel looks to clean up overseas

    Monday 12 Oct 2009

    Tristel chief executive Paul Swinney described the infection and contamination control company’s results as ‘good, if not spectacular’ but his modesty contrasts with his excitement about the prospect of overseas expansion.

  • FTSE 100 hits 1-year high

    Monday 12 Oct 2009

    Stocks have moved sharply higher, led to their best levels since September last year by insurers and the oil majors. Crude prices up near $73 a barrel helped BP and Royal Dutch Shell gain ground Monday. Old Mutual, Standard Life and Legal & General also featured on investors’ shopping lists. The long running soap opera revolving around the chairman role at TV broadcaster ITV took another twist

  • Inflation hits five-year low as energy prices ease

    Monday 12 Oct 2009

    Steady energy prices resulted in a bigger-than-expected fall in inflation in September.

  • Recruiters pin hopes on stabilisation

    Friday 09 Oct 2009

    It would be a bit premature to say that recruitment firms are turning a corner following the ravages of the credit crunch, but three companies in the sector this week reported some encouraging – albeit tentative – trends.

  • Recruiters pin hopes on stabilisation

    Friday 09 Oct 2009

    Updating the market on recent trading, recruitment firms Michael Page and Hays both talked about 'stabilisation' following tough times this week.

  • JJB Sports finally launches £100m rights issue

    Friday 09 Oct 2009

    JJB Sports issued the prospectus for its delayed £100m rights issue this morning, adding it represents a new beginning for the embattled sportswear group.

  • Best Buys: Over-50s ISAs

    Thursday 08 Oct 2009

    Older savers have this week seen their ISA limit raised to £10,200, of which £5,100 can be held in cash and the rest in stocks and shares.

  • ITV raises £120m as it keeps SDN

    Thursday 08 Oct 2009

    Troubled broadcaster ITV is to raise £120m through an issue of convertible bonds as it reiterated it has no plans for a rights issue.

  • Interest rates to stay low until 2014

    Thursday 08 Oct 2009

    UK interest rates are not likely to be raised until 2011 and will stay below 2% until 2014, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said.

  • Ladbrokes in £275m cash call as profits fall

    Thursday 08 Oct 2009

    Bookmaker Ladbrokes announced plans to raise £275m via a rights issue as it warned that profitability has continued to weaken largely as a result of lower gross win margins.

  • Mortgage PPI firms to refund £60m

    Wednesday 07 Oct 2009

    Homeowners with Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI) could receive a slice of £60m worth of refunds from mortgage lenders and insurers in the coming months.

  • Lloyds mulls £15bn rights issue to avoid toxic scheme

    Wednesday 07 Oct 2009

    Lloyds Banking is mulling a huge rights issue to avoid joining the UK government's asset protection scheme, reports Wednesday suggested. Sky News suggested the part-nationalised bank could raise as much as £25bn in new capital including disposals and asset sales. A rights issue would account for £15bn of that total, which would make it the largest ever seen in the UK.

  • UK interest rate hike not on the horizon

    Wednesday 07 Oct 2009

    Australia may just have become the first G20 nation to raise interests since the onset of financial crisis, but the UK is highly unlikely to follow suit tomorrow.

  • Gold hits new record high

    Wednesday 07 Oct 2009

    Gold hit a new record high on Wednesday, touching $1,048.20 an ounce in intraday trading, as investors remained wary of the risk of continued falls in the dollar and rising inflation.

  • Sainsbury's sales growth slows

    Wednesday 07 Oct 2009

    Shares in Sainsbury’s fell back after the supermarket reported a slowdown in sales growth between the first and second quarters and predicted slower growth to come. Excluding the impact of the fuel and VAT cut announced last November, like-for-like sales were up by 5.4% from the same period the previous year in the quarter, the second of the company’s financial year.

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