WPP snaps up Indian marketing firm
13th Jun 2012 07:05
Advertising and media conglomerate WPP has bought a majority stake in Mumbai based Hungama Digital Services for an undisclosed sum. Hungama Digital Services is part of Hungama Digital Entertainment and specialises in marketing strategies, web design, digital marketing, search engine marketing, soci
Read moreWednesday preview: Sainsbury set to embarrass Tesco
12th Jun 2012 18:42
Sainsbury, once king of the hill in the UK grocery market, is set to embarrass the current market leader, Tesco, when it issues a trading update on Wednesday. While earlier this week Tesco tried to put a brave face on a 1.5% decline in like-for-like sales (excluding VAT and petrol) in the UK, Sains
Read moreChief Executive pay keeps rising
12th Jun 2012 09:05
FTSE 100 Chief Executives enjoyed bumper pay rises in 2011 while their employees got virtually no increase at all, according to a new report. The average wage earned by Chief Executives in the UK's biggest firms was £4.8m, up 12% on the year before. In contrast, employees at FTSE 100 companies saw
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: China, RBS, Syria
11th Jun 2012 07:05
China's leadership remains under pressure to rescue the world's second-biggest economy from an ugly slowdown, despite a surprise leap in foreign trade last month. Exports surged by 15.3 per cent compared with May last year, while imports increased by 12.7 per cent thanks to a rise in demand for crud
Read moreChime defies Sorrell, flogs Bell Pottinger
31st May 2012 10:12
Marketing firm Chime Communications is to sell its public relations arm, Bell Pottinger, to its own Chairman and deputy Chairman. The deal will cost Chairman Lord (Tim) Bell and Deputy Chairman Piers Pottinger £19.6m and see them resign from the board of Chime. Of the £19.6m, £13.9m is payable in
Read moreLondon midday: Gains erased as Spain dents sentiment
29th May 2012 11:37
- Spanish concerns weigh on European markets - Earlier optimism surrounding China outweighed by euro worries - Banks slip into the red, miners trim gains Miners had pared their gains by Tuesday lunchtime, meaning that the Footsie had slipped back to where it had started, as Eurozone concerns outwei
Read moreLondon open: Miners jump on Chinese growth hopes
29th May 2012 08:25
- Chinese stimulus hopes boost miners - Wolseley drops after third-quarter update - Greek banks receive liquidity injection Just a couple of stocks on the FTSE 100 were in the red in early trading on Tuesday, as the blue chip index jumped on the back of Chinese stimulus hopes. Markets across Europ
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to track Asian stocks higher
29th May 2012 07:28
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 25 points from yesterday's close of 5,356, tracking Asian stocks higher. Sentiment over Greece has been boosted by another poll in the country which showed that the pro-bailout New Democracy party is leading amongst voters as the country prepares for th
Read moreWPP expands digital marketing division in France
29th May 2012 07:04
Advertising and media giant WPP is to buy a majority stake in French digital data and campaign technology marketing group Predictys, as it attempts to widen its footprint in the digital industry. Predictys, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Grenoble, has a co-operative database which includes in
Read moreTuesday broker round-up - UPDATE
22nd May 2012 09:26
Chamberlin: Charles Stanley maintains buy rating and 175p target. easyJet: Investec upgrades from hold to buy, target hiked from 500p to 670p. HomeServe: Charles Stanley cuts target from 290p to 250p, rating under review; Jefferies maintains underperform rating and 195p target. Inmarsat: UBS cut
Read moreLondon pre-open: Quiet start expected
21st May 2012 07:52
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open little changed, as the market awaits more developments in the Eurozone. Real estate investment trust British Land increased underlying profit before tax by 5.1% to £269m in the year to the end of March. Net asset value per share was up 4.9% to 595p. "We
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Break-up, France, Bailouts
21st May 2012 07:16
When it comes to contingency planning for a Eurozone break-up, it is typically a German company that has been ahead of the game. Industrial conglomerate Siemens acquired a banking licence in December 2010. That allowed it to access directly European Central Bank funds, so cutting its exposure to swi
Read moreWPP invests in Myanmarian ad agency
21st May 2012 07:03
Media giant WPP has entered into an agreement to buy a stake in Myanmar-based advertising agency, Today Advertising. The company, based in Yangon, employs 60 people, and WPP's investment continues its strategy of "developing its services in fast-growing and important markets and sectors," the group
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners start to edge higher
18th May 2012 14:47
Miners have been firmly under a cloud since Goldman Sachs lowered its forecast for second quarter growth in China's gross domestic product (GDP) to 7.9% from 8.5% previously, but today several stocks were seen to be rising. Fresnillo, Antofagasta, Polymetal and Kazakhmys were all seen heading high
Read moreWPP goes fruity with latest acquisition
18th May 2012 13:37
WPP, which is not wholly adverse to the odd acquisition now and again, has announced that it is to acquire a majority stake in Russia-based digital marketing services agency, Grape. Grape's major clients include Henkel, JTI, MTS and SABMiller. Its consolidated unaudited revenues for the year ended
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