need to know heat map
Tuesday February 09, 2010
The Need To Know heatmap is generated from Times Business content, published Monday to Saturday.
To view in text form, click the link in the top right of the heatmap.
The "heat" applied to each entry is generated by reader interest - the more people that click on an item, the hotter it gets. A relative weighting is applied to the heatmap to highlight the importance of content within each category.
Mouse over an entry to select. Click the entry to expand. Where companies are referenced, follow the links to view related articles or company data.
For best performance, we recommend using IE7 or Firefox 2 and above. Older versions of IE6 may not support the ajax/ javascript within the heatmap. If you experience problems following the related article or company data links, please right mouse click the link and choose "open in new window". Company data is available for companies currently listed in the Hemscott Company Data index.
All company data is delayed by 15 minutes.
The "heat" applied to each entry is generated by reader interest - the more people that click on an item, the hotter it gets. A relative weighting is applied to the heatmap to highlight the importance of content within each category.
Mouse over an entry to select. Click the entry to expand. Where companies are referenced, follow the links to view related articles or company data.
For best performance, we recommend using IE7 or Firefox 2 and above. Older versions of IE6 may not support the ajax/ javascript within the heatmap. If you experience problems following the related article or company data links, please right mouse click the link and choose "open in new window". Company data is available for companies currently listed in the Hemscott Company Data index.
All company data is delayed by 15 minutes.
Economics
Data due on Friday are expected to show that GDP rose by 0.4 per cent, matching the rise in the third quarter of the year.
Data due out on Thursday are tipped to show that inflation on the consumer prices index was 2.2 per cent, up from 1.9 per cent in December.
This would take the annual fall to 4.1 per cent, down from 6 per cent.
Banking & finance
Santander, which owns Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and the savings division of Bradford & Bingley, is one of a number of banks to submit initial expressions of interest in the auction of the 312 branches.
The Treasury is expected to approve a total bonus pool of about £1.3 billion, despite the bank's expected losses. (The Sunday Times)
The report by Anton Valukas, a white-collar crime specialist, will focus on whether JP Morgan, Lehman's main short-term lender, dealt a fatal blow to the bank by increasing collateral demands on loans in the days immediately before its demise. (The Sunday Times)
It plans to float 25 per cent of its equity for more than £1 billion and is understood to be holding a “beauty parade” of investment banks to choose an adviser. Gazprombank also operates in Belarus, Switzerland and Armenia, with offices in China and Mongolia. (The Mail on Sunday)
The admission came from Hans-Rudolf Merz, the Swiss Finance Minister, who said in an interview: “We have to be prepared to take on European rules.”
Metro is one of the most advanced of the new banks, with two branches almost ready to open in Central London. Its plan is to open four branches this year and 200 within a decade.
Engineering
The company, which agreed settlements with the Serious Fraud Office and the US Department of Justice on Friday, had claimed that it no longer employed anyone who had been responsible for the matters under investigation. (The Sunday Telegraph)
Health
The three-year project will work on drugs that fight cancer cells by exploiting the way in which they use energy to grow. (The Sunday Times)
Leisure
The unit had closed last week, putting 60 jobs at risk.
The company, which owns Stoke City Football Club, said that the number of people betting on sports had risen by 90 per cent and that it had taken £3.4 million in bets. (The Sunday Times)
Media
Elio Leoni-Sceti, the Italian chief executive, must present a plan to convince investors in Terra Firma, EMI's owner, to pour more money into the group or see it fall into the hands of Citigroup, its banker. Last week EMI disclosed a £1.7 billion pre-tax loss, after a £1 billion impairment charge, and warned that it faced a “significant shortfall” in meeting its borrowing covenants on £3.2 billion of loans. (The Sunday Times)
Natural resources
The landmark deal will bring Tullow a windfall of up to $2.5 billion and is set to transform the economy of Uganda. The deal with the Chinese supercedes an attempt by Eni, the Italian energy group, to move in on the Ugandan interests. (The Sunday Times)
The secondary listing is expected to take place in the final quarter of this year. The company is valued at nearly £45 million. (The Independent on Sunday)
It will also confirm that sales of precious stones are recovering after a dire 2009.
Retailing
The company is expected to raise about £160 million from the flotation to wipe out its £55 million of debts and also to build a £100 million distribution centre. (The Sunday Times)
Sales were flat at £17.3 million, while gross margins climbed to 43 per cent, from 39 per cent. The latest accounts show that the company has received paynments of £10 million and £8 million from its owners, the Hong Kong-based Fang family, within the past two years. These sums are in addition to £5 million invested earlier. (The Observer)
Profits at the family-owned company, based in Wigan, rose by 17 per cent to £4.8 million. The company, which has 16 stores across the North of England, said that sales during the Christmas trading season were up by 60 per cent, with orders for 1,000 suites taken during the week from Boxing Day to the new year.
Support services
The switch will mean that the regulator will save the fee it pays to commercial auditors because the NAO does not charge other arms of government. (The Independent on Sunday)
Duke Street has invested €45 million (£39.3 million) for its shares and Payzone's seven banks have agreed to cut the debt it owes from €300 million to about €80 million in return for an equity stake. (The Sunday Times)
Technology
Telecoms
Transport
A joint industry and government report led by Andy Green, chief executive of Logica, the IT group, will support Virgin's campaign, with RAF Lossiemouth in Morayshire the preferred site. (The Sunday Times)
Utilities
The Mail on Sunday; buy RM (support services)
GDF was rebuffed last month with an offer under which the French group would transfer some of its assets into International Power. A market source said that the sweetened offer would have to include a premium on the company's market value of nearly £5 billion. (The Independent on Sunday)