London midday: No sparks from Marks
6th Jan 2010 11:52
Leading shares were attempting their second rally of the morning as the lunchtime session started, but almost two-thirds of FTSE 100 constituents remain in the red. Chief among them is M&S. The cold weather may have seen woolly jumpers and slippers fly off the shelves at Marks & Spencer in the days
Read moreLondon open: Dull start as big freeze bites
6th Jan 2010 08:49
It's all about the retailers in the pre-opening session as the post-Christmas trading update season moves into full swing with Marks & Spencer heading lower after its update. The cold weather may have seen woolly jumpers and slippers fly off the shelves at Marks & Spencer in the days before Christm
Read moreLondon pre-open: Retailers hog the limelight
6th Jan 2010 07:38
It's all about the retailers in the pre-opening session as the post-Christmas trading update season moves into full swing. Despite some solid numbers from the stores, the FTSE 100 is expected to open down about 4 points at 5,518. The cold weather saw woolly jumpers and slippers fly off the shelves
Read moreGames Workshop to smash forecasts
6th Jan 2010 07:15
Model and war game retailer Games Workshop expects profits this year will come in some £5m ahead of market forecasts as cost cutting benefits and royalty income come through strongly. In a statement, Games Workshop, which is best known for selling the Warhammer range, said pre-tax profits in the ye
Read moreHottest toys won't break the bank this Christmas
30th Oct 2009 13:12
Parents won't have to win the lottery to pay for their children's Christmas presents this year as toymakers flood the shelves with affordable games and gizmos. The Toy Retailers Association (TRA) this week revealed the toys it thinks most kids want to find in their stocking Christmas morning. It s
Read moreBritish American finance boss sells shares
22nd Sep 2009 16:16
British American Tobacco finance boss Ben Stevens has pocketed nearly £200,000 after offloading some of his stake in the Lucky Strike maker. He sold 5,000 shares at 1,981p a share and 5,000 at 1,969p. He now has just more than 95,000. Stevens has been with British American since 1990. He joined th
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Sage, Games Workshop, Arm
29th Jul 2009 06:43
Business software group Sage still looks solid enough, with good cash flows, and a cost-cutting drive to salvage margins. The group also pointed out that companies were not yet ditching contracts or trading down. The multiple of 11 times brokers' estimated earnings in 2009 looks about right, with a
Read moreGames Workshop moves up a level
28th Jul 2009 14:18
Tabletop war games publisher Games Workshop drove down debt last year as profits soared, despite a disappointing performance over Christmas. "The simple truth is that we didn't do a good enough job of helping all the customers we recruited in the summer purchase product over Christmas. We make no e
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