Editor's Picks

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  • Financial services industry upbeat, CBI

    Monday 29 Mar 2010

    Activity in the UK's financial services sector was stable in the three months to March and firms hope to see much better growth in the next quarter, a new survey reveals today.

  • Desire let down by Liz

    Monday 29 Mar 2010

    Is there any commercially viable oil around the Falkland Islands?

  • Mortgage approvals fall to nine month low

    Monday 29 Mar 2010

    The number of mortgages approved by banks fell to a nine-month low in February, reinforcing the impression that the strong recovery seen in the housing market last year has abated.

  • Carphone demerger effective

    Monday 29 Mar 2010

    The demerger of TalkTalk Telecom from Carphone Warehouse has become effective, with trading in TalkTalk and the new incarnation of Carphone Warehouse starting on Monday morning.

  • Rio condemns 'deplorable' behaviour of disgraced execs

    Monday 29 Mar 2010

    Mining giant Rio Tinto has terminated the employment of the four employees who have been found guilty of taking bribes and stealing business secrets and described the behaviour of the convicted men as ‘deplorable’. Sam Walsh, chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, said an internal investigation by the company indicated ‘that the illegal activities were conducted wholly outside our systems.’

  • HMV provides clarity

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Both of HMV’s businesses, the CD and DVD retailer of the same name and the bookshop chain Waterstone’s face huge challenges in coming years.

  • Premium broker tips: JPM turns off utilities

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    UK power companies face such an uncertain environment that JP Morgan has cut its stance on some of the sector’s big-hitters.

  • More BA strikes possible after Easter

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    British Airways passengers face the possibility of more strikes after Easter as the dispute between the airline and cabin crew intensified over the weekend. The cabin crew union Unite said no further action will be taken until after Easter, but more strikes are likely from 14 April. “We are very clear that we will be announcing further dates and this dispute will go on after Easter

  • Online charges for Times titles unveiled

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    News International is to start charging online readers of the Times and Sunday Times from June, the Rupert Murdoch-owned publisher announced today.

  • HMV strategy update impresses

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Shares in HMV were in demand after the CD and DVD retailer unveiled a strategy that involves lifting sales of new products, increasing its presence in the live music and ticketing market and continuing to improve margins at the Waterstones book store chain.

  • Lebedev picks up The Independent for £1

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev has bought The Independent and The Independent on Sunday from Ireland’s Independent News & Media for £1.

  • Tories pledge to reverse National Insurance rises

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    The Conservatives will block some of the rises in National Insurance (NI) planned for next year if they are elected, shadow chancellor George Osborne has said.

  • Homeserve profits to hit top end

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Home maintenance specialist Homeserve's profits this year will come in at the top end of market forecasts after a strong end with high levels of renewals and new policy sales. In the UK, it hit its customer growth target of 3% with gross new policy sales of 1.80m (2009: 1.83m). Renewals levels remained high during the freezing weather in February and into March.

  • Online charges for Times titles unveiled

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    News International is to start charging online readers of the Times and Sunday Times from June, the Rupert Murdoch-owned publisher announced today.

  • De La Rue to raise £78m from lottery stake

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Banknote printer De La Rue has confirmed it is selling its 20% stake in UK Lottery operator Camelot Group as well as Camelot’s sister company, Camelot Global Services. Press reports indicate that Premier Lotteries UK Limited, a company controlled by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), has agreed to buy Camelot £77.8m in cash, subject to approval from the National Lottery Commission

  • De La Rue to raise £78m from lottery stake

    Friday 26 Mar 2010

    Banknote printer De La Rue has confirmed that it is selling its stake in UK Lottery operator Camelot Group as well as Camelot’s sister company, Camelot Global Services. Press reports indicate that Premier Lotteries UK Limited, a company controlled by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), has agreed to buy Camelot, subject to approval from the National Lottery Commission.

  • Lebedev picks up The Independent for £1

    Thursday 25 Mar 2010

    Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev has bought The Independent and The Independent on Sunday from Ireland’s Independent News & Media for £1.

  • Next still cautious despite profits boost

    Thursday 25 Mar 2010

    Last year’s economic resurgence helped Next post a sharp rise in pre-tax profits in 2009, but unfortunately for the fashion retailer it remains to be seen whether the recovery was built on steady foundations.

  • Retail sales recover from January slump

    Thursday 25 Mar 2010

    Shoppers swamped the high street in February after being trapped indoors for weeks by January’s snow storms. Retail sales jumped 2.1% last month, the biggest increase since May 2008 and much better than expected. But economists fear consumer spending will have contracted in the first quarter of 2010, “bad news for growth prospects given that consumer spending accounts for some 65% of GDP”

  • Cash flows in as Kingfisher profits rebound

    Wednesday 24 Mar 2010

    B&Q and Castorama chain owner Kingfisher raised its dividend for the first time in five years as profits bounced back in 2009. Debt also tumbled and the group has now expanded its capital investment plans.

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