All City & finance articles – Page 489
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NewsSports Direct defends chairman appointment
Sports Direct has denied that it appointed Keith Hellawell chairman because of his experience of chairing a company that, like the sports specialist, has faced an OFT inquiry.
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NewsUnited Carpets reports strong half
Profits for United Carpets grew 10.2% to £702,000 in the six months to September 30.
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NewsShowroom sales rocket at Wickes
DIY chain Wickes has generated strong sales growth in showroom categories and made market share gains, parent Travis Perkins revealed.
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NewsLaura Ashley like-for-likes rise 4.9%
Homewares and womenswear retailer Laura Ashley expects full year trading to be broadly in line with company expectations after like-for-like sales rose 4.9% over the first 19 weeks of the second half to 12 December.
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NewsKesa records better-than-expected first half
Electricals retailer Kesa’s has revealed a better-than-expected first half, with adjusted group pre-tax profit jumping 37% to £14.9m in the six months to October 31.
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NewsBest Buy sales and profits rise in third quarter
Electricals giant Best Buy has posted a leap in third quarter sales and profits and upped full-year earnings guidance.
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NewsDunelm founder transfers 10% stake
Dunelm founder Bill Adderley has offloaded more shares in the family-run business, transferring around a 10% share of the retailer to his son and Dunelm chief executive Will.
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NewsCarpetright notches up best half-year performance in five years
Carpetright pre-tax profit grew 15.8% to £11m in the 26 weeks to October 31 as the domestic arm clocked up it strongest half year performance since 2004.
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NewsSpar Q2 like-for-likes climb 4.8%
Convenience store group Spar has reported like-for-like sales up 4.8% in the three months to October 31.
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NewsSpecsavers profit edges up 3%
The UK’s largest opticians Specsavers pre-tax profits rose 3% to £26.5m in the year to February 2008.
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NewsHobbyCraft to be put up for sale
Arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft is to be sold for £70m after it appointed Grant Thornton to consider its strategic options.
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NewsHMV confident about Christmas as losses narrow
Entertainment retailer HMV made a first half pre-tax loss of £24.9m, compared with £27.5m last year, after a “weak” performance at Waterstone’s.
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OpinionTesco quietly impresses
Tesco’s trading updates often split the City, and Tuesday’s third-quarter announcement was no exception. Some highlighted that UK like-for-like growth was below expectations, while others reiterated the longer-term benefits of being more than just a UK food retailer.
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News
Specsavers to double stores in New Zealand
Optical retailer Specsavers is to double the number of stores it operates in New Zealand from 30 to 60.
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NewsTesco upbeat despite sluggish like-for-likes
Tesco remains confident the economy is in recovery despite slower than expected UK like-for-likes.
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NewsFindel focuses on debt reduction as profits sink
Home shopping and educational supplies specialist Findel suffered a sharp drop in operating profits and made an overall loss due to debt refinancing for the six months to October 3, as the retailer sought to stabilise the business.
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NewsGame sales dive despite share growth claims
Game’s group like-for-likes slumped 15.1% in the 44 weeks to December 5, but the retailer claimed it had continued to take market share.
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NewsChristmas voucher specialist Park Group sees market revival
Christmas savings and voucher specialist Park Group has posted year-on-year interim sales up 6% for the six months to September 30 and revealed orders for Christmas 2010 are “well ahead of last year at this stage”.
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NewsCarpetright set for record UK sales
Floor coverings retailer Carpetright is expected to announce strong interim results on Tuesday following its most recent trading update for the 12 weeks ended October 24, which showed group sales up 10.3%, while like-for-like sales rose 5.6%.
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NewsSoaring B&Q UK and Ireland profit helps propel Kingfisher
Kingfisher’s group retail profit soared 28.3% to £227m in its third quarter, helped by strong performances in the UK and Ireland, and Poland.