The Bank of England has kept interest rates at their record low following a flurry of recent data showing the fragile nature of the UK's economic recovery, Rates have been pegged at 0.5% for 27 consecutive months despite spiraling inflation. The move will be welcomed by homeowners and small...
Bristol Water's Spanish owners, Agbar, have called in US bank Citigroup to advise on a possible sale of the company, according to the Financial Times. The Spanish company, which is majority-owned by France's Suez Environment, could expect to get around £370m from a sale compared to the £362m – including...
Shares in Bristol-based marketing software company smartFOCUS have been traded for the last time following its £25.3m acquisition by Emailvision Holdings. The deal, agreed on April 11, saw smartFOCUS shareholders receive 25p a share, representing a premium of 61.3% to the latest closing price. Separately, smartFOCUS reported an...
The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership has named a largely derelict area covering 173 acres behind Temple Meads station as the area's first official Enterprise Zone to act as a magnet for inward investment and create thousands of new jobs. It is estimated more than 250 businesses can be...
Some 82% of wealthy individuals aged 45 or under deliberately avoid information about how the market or their portfolio is performing – that's one of the quirkier findings to emerge from Risk and Rules: The Role of Control in Financial Decision Making, a survey commissioned by Barclays Wealth of 400...
The UK’s best tax team in a law firm is based at Burges Salmon in Bristol – according to Taxation magazine’s national Taxation Awards 2011. Teamwork, innovation and service excellence were all major factors in the team's success. Led by partners Nigel Popplewell and John Barnett, it was singled out for...
Jelf is on the look-out for bolt-on acquisitions. The Yate-based financial services consultancy specialising in insurance, employee benefits, healthcare and financial planning, reported a 49% rise in operating profits in what it described as a challenging climate during the six months to March 31. Revenue was flat at £35m...
Three Bristol firms are among the finalists in the prestigious West of England Business of the Year awards. Insurance brokers Brightside Group and Bristol Airport line up against four other businesses in the large business category while Magmatic, maker of the Trunki children's ride-on suitcase, is competing against three...
The Von Essen chain of country house hotels has been put up for sale for around £200m and is already attracting ‘huge’ interest, according to agents Christie & Co. The firm has been appointed to sell the 27 prestige hotels either as a portfolio or as individual assets. The...
Staying ahead in an ever changing world is the theme of the South West Communicators Conference on Tuesday June 14 at the Bristol Hotel on Harbourside. Business journalist and BBC broadcaster Declan Curry will chair a roundtable discussion on the changing media landscape, with contributions from regional BBC, ITV...
Bristol is on track to lead the rebalancing of British manufacturing over the next 20 years as an advanced manufacturing super-city, says HSBC in its third annual authoritative assessment of the British economy. Its Future of Business Report, published today, identifies Bristol – and its dynamic high-tech industrial base...
Bristol Water pre-tax profits plummeted from £23.1m to £7.6m in the year to May 31 following what chairman Moger Woolley described as "one of the most unusual years in the company's long history". Not only had the company faced one of the severest Decembers and driest years in...
Bristol-based Charles Francis has a chance of winning one of nine £50,000 prizes in Take One Small Step, a business idea contest sponsored by Barclays Bank. Charles, whose business dream is to set up Bristol's first liquid nitrogen ice cream creation parlour, has made it through to a...
