WPP revenue up 8% in first four months; Brexit and US rate rise cited as possible risks
9th Jun 2015 12:42
Advertising agency WPP posted an 8% rise in revenue to £3.78bn for the first four months of the year, although the company cautioned that it looks set to be "another demanding year" and pointed to a possible 'Brexit' and US interest-rate hike as risks. Revenue in constant currency was up 7.1%, refle
Read moreWPP acquires minority stake in WANDA Digital
8th Jun 2015 09:21
Publishing giant WPP has acquired a minority stake in Turkish digital agency WANDA Digital for an undisclosed amount. The FTSE 100 group said the acquisition was carried out via its business partner J Walter Thompson Company. WANDA, whose clients include Turkcell, L'Oreal, Nestle and Unilever, repo
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Kingfisher surges on upgrade, miners and oil stocks lower
4th Jun 2015 13:16
UK stocks dipped on Thursday afternoon amid mixed messages coming out about progress in Greece and volatile sovereign debt markets. Sector-wise, miners, utilities and transport stocks provided the biggest drag, offsetting decent performances from retailers and property stocks. As of 14:30 BST, the
Read moreTuesday broker round-up
2nd Jun 2015 07:57
British American Tobacco: JP Morgan reiterates overweight and 4,100p target price. Royal Mail: JP Morgan reiterates neutral stance. Playtech: JP Morgan reiterates buy. Henderson Group: UBS reiterates neutral stance and 275p target. Prudential: UBS reiterates buy recommendation and 1,950p target.
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds declines as state investment vehicle lowers stake, miners lower
1st Jun 2015 13:49
UK shares were trading lower on Monday afternoon, ahead of a raft of US economic data, as weakness in mining, oil and insurance stocks outweighed gains made in the real estate, travel and electronics sectors. As of 15:30 BST, the FTSE 100 was trading 0.23% lower at 6,988. Lloyds registered losses a
Read moreWPP could reportedly face revolt over CEO Sorrell's pay
1st Jun 2015 07:09
Global advertising group WPP may face opposition from shareholders at its annual meeting on 9 June over chief executive Martin Sorrell's £43m pay award for 2014, according to press reports. Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which advise investors that own about a quarter of t
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Government supplier clampdown, UK banks' Fifa fears, Lloyds sale
31st May 2015 15:58
Companies that supply services to the government are going to feel the screw tightened on them as the Cabinet Office clamps down, the Sunday Times said. The office has begun to demand its biggest contractors, which include BAE Systems, Babcock, Serco and G4S, to report on revenue and profit margins
Read moreWPP acquires French advertising specialist
28th May 2015 12:22
Advertising and public relations giant WPP said it has acquired a majority stake in out-of-home advertising specialist Financiere Postiere. The FTSE 100 group did not offer any financial details on the transaction, although it said the deal will be carried out by Kinetic and GroupM, two of its fully
Read moreWPP's Always buys Singapore marketing company 3ree
22nd May 2015 08:13
WPP's China-based marketing company Always Marketing Services has agreed to buy Singapore's 3ree, the advertising group announced on Friday. WPP said the acquisition of 3ree, which offers event management, marketing and project management, marks another step towards its goal of developing its networ
Read moreWPP buys majority stake in sports marketing agency Two Circles
19th May 2015 11:13
Advertising giant WPP has acquired a majority stake in sports marketing agency Two Circles. Following the deal, the London-based agency will become part of ESP Properties, the new sport rights agency launched by GroupM, WPP's media-buying arm. In a statement released on Tuesday, WPP said Two Circle
Read moreSteer clear of FTSE 100 even beyond the UK election, says SocGen
7th May 2015 13:14
Steer clear of UK equities even beyond the election, despite their recent underperformance, said Societe Generale in a research note on Thursday. The bank cited three key reasons why the market is unattractive, the first being fading growth momentum. SocGen pointed out that the UK economy delivered
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Greek banks, Labour party, Ukraine
1st May 2015 06:59
"Panicking pensioners queued at banks, raided their accounts and broke into a board meeting of the state pension fund yesterday as Greece struggled to pay its two million pension recipients," The Times writes. Labour leader Ed Miliband has ruled out a coalition with the Scottish National Party, sayi
Read moreWPP to invest in funding round for Refinery29
28th Apr 2015 10:05
Publishing group WPP has made an investment in the $50m (£32.8m) series D funding round for fashion and lifestyle media group Refinery29. The London-listed company said it would make the investment through its WPP Ventures business, adding it would partner with US-based media group Scripss Network I
Read moreSunday share tips: WPP, Asos, WANDisco
26th Apr 2015 10:06
Shares in Asos should be sold, the Inside the City column said in the Sunday Times. After a rollercoaster ride up to a £70 all-time high before shooting down to half that point after three profit warnings, the halo has slipped and the feeling is that it has further to fall as rivals have caught up w
Read moreLondon close: Mining stocks stage late rally on Chinese stimulus hopes
23rd Apr 2015 16:47
UK stocks finished higher after a choppy session on Thursday, with investors having to digest a raft of corporate earnings, mixed economic data and developments in Greece. After swinging between the red and the green for most of the day, London's FTSE 100 rallied in afternoon trade as blue-chip mine
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