All City & finance articles – Page 544
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NewsSymbol store group Henderson reports profits rise
Henderson Group, which owns and runs 72 symbol stores including Spar and Eurospar in Northern Ireland and supplies 400 shops, has revealed a “strong performance” in 2008 and expansion plans for this year.The company did not disclose exact figures, but said that operating profit rose 10.7 per cent and turnover ...
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NewsConsumer confidence slowly rises
Shopper confidence is at its highest since May 2008, with the GfK NOP Consumer Confidence Index up five points to -30 for March.
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NewsM&S rounds off good week for retail stocks
Marks & Spencer spearheaded an advance by retail shares on Tuesday, when its fourth-quarter numbers defied downbeat expectations.The retail sector rose 6 per cent on the day, when there was also the successful refinancing of Clinton Cards and placings of Debenhams and Sainsbury’s shares. Improving sentiment towards retailers helped the ...
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OpinionCautious Next sets the standard
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson was his usual cautious self last week, revealing to the City that the fashion retailer would be “sticking to the knitting”.His approach pleased analysts, and one even believes that Next is among the best-managed companies in the sector.Wolfson is right to be cautious. Among the ...
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NewsLaura Ashley remains resilient
Fashion and homewares group Laura Ashley claimed a “resilient” performance despite suffering a fall in full-year profits from £15.8m to £9.6m.Promotions and the weakness of sterling sliced 2 percentage points off gross margin, but the retailer generated a 9.6 per cent rise in total group sales to £260.5m in the ...
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Opinion
Cruel month of April no joke for retail
In The Wasteland, TS Eliot wrote that April is the cruellest month. Something tells me JG Brown and AM Darling studied it in their formative years.With property and people being retailers’ biggest operating costs, Wednesday certainly wasn’t a day to celebrate. April 1 was the day this year’s whopping business ...
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News
Spectre of deflation looms as Retail Price Index falls to zero
The stores sector faces deflation after the Retail Price Index (RPI) fell to zero last month for the first time in nearly half a century.
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NewsPricewaterhouseCoopers: Sales to be had in high street shake-up
The number of retail pre-pack administrations will climb this year as the recession takes its toll, but fewer chains will disappear from the high street completely.
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Opinion
Tesco will find its feet again
With the grocers’ reporting season well under way, all eyes will be on Tesco next month when it reveals its preliminary results.
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Opinion
Retail’s resources are to be envied
This specialist magazine is understandably introspective and does just what it says in its title, scrutinising retail week after week.
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News
Generalists on the up but food out of favour
General retailers, but not their food counterparts, once again outperformed the market but remained well down year on year.
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Signet to cut costs after challenging year
Jewellery giant Signet intends to slash costs and cut debt to cope with harsh trading conditions.
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JJB Sports in eleventh-hour talks on clubs sale
JJB Sports remains locked in talks to sell its fitness clubs division despite the expiry yesterday of an extension to its standstill agreement with lenders.
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NewsRetail price stagnation sparks deflation fears
Inflation has fallen to zero for the first time in 49 years.
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Opinion
The credit insurance crunch
Imagine that you got home one day in early February, having trudged your way through the snow, to find a letter from your car insurance company on the doormat.
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Opinion
Value to be had in retail
Think back about five months or so, to the aftermath of Lehman’s collapse and tsunami-style turbulence in financial markets.
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NewsCredit insurance fury reaches boiling point
Retailers are turning the heat up on the Government to intervene in the credit insurance crisis.
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News
Retail stocks pick up in line with market
Retailers were popular as the market rose generally. Value opportunities, defensive stocks and riskier turnaround situations were all in vogue – only nine main market-listed store groups lost value over the week.
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News
Flying Brands profits dive 53% after punishing year
Pre-tax profits at home shopping specialist Flying Brands’ ongoing operations plummeted 53 per cent to 1.5m last year.
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Ted Baker is still on the right course
Idiosyncratic fashion retailer and brand Ted Baker reveals full-year numbers on Wednesday.