Surpassing analysts' projections, UK retailer Next Plc posted better than expected results for the first half of 2015. The pretax profit rose 7.1 percent to GBP347million ($533MN) for the first half. Retail profit margins grew 14.9 percent from 14.1 percent during the previous corresponding period. The strengthening British pound also helped Next Plc improve profit margins.
Regions
Ex-Hyundai CEO John Krafcik joins Google Self-Driving Car project as chief executive
Google named John Krafcik, a former Hyundai Motors CEO, as the new chief executive for its self-driving car. Krafcik will serve the company later this month. John Krafcik, a former CEO of Hyundai Motors will join Google as the chief executive to handle its self-driving car. Krafcik is currently the president of TrueCar, an eCommerce site for automobiles. He's also been a chief engineer of Ford.
Macquarie Group’s expected profits to surge 40% in H1
Buoyed with drop in Australian currency and rise in revenues from its asset management unit and risk management fees, Macquarie Group Ltd is confident of achieving 40 percent growth in profits for the first half of 2015 year.
Shanghai Gold Exchange allows gold, other securities as collateral trading
The Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) has allowed using physical gold and other securities as collateral on futures contracts trading. The move is aimed at increasing volumes and attracting investors from other markets.
Vista Equity Partners to buy Solera Holdings Inc. for $6.5 B
Vista Equity Partner is nearing to close a deal to buy a Texas-based company, Solera Holdings for $55.85 per share in cash. The total valuation of the deal including Solera's net debt is said to be worth $6.5 billion. The purchase price represents a 13 percent premium to the company's stock value.
Latest News
On Wednesday, McDonald's announced its plan to fully transition to cage-free eggs in the U.S. and Canada over the next 10 years. The all-time favorite fast-food restaurant will join the booming number of restaurants and food companies making the same commitment to meet consumer demand, reported by Chicago Tribune.
Switzerland is adding another factory for Nespresso, Europe's largest single-serve coffee brand. This is to manufacture capsules uniquely designed for the U.S. consumers where sales growth is bigger than its home continent according to Bloomberg.
Apple's collaboration with various tech companies to penetrate the once Windows-dominated IT industry proves that Apple is truly a key player in this enterprise.
The UK-based department store chain British Home Stores (BHS) has secured a loan from Grovepoint Capital. The latest loan amount is believed to be worth GBP 65 million.
A partnership between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. known as United Launch Alliance (ULA) has sealed a deal with Jeff Bezo's space company, Blue Origin. The new partnership agreement took place as Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings was reported to have made an offer to buy the joint venture company for a reported amount of $2 billion cash.
With an objective of boosting economic growth, Serbia has slashed interest rate for a consecutive second month. The inflation rate is below the government's target and GDP growth rate was also eased in 2014. The decision of Serbia, the biggest former Yugoslav republic, to slash interest rate for a consecutive second month surprised everyone as it unexpected one both the times.
Oil Search Ltd has refused the $8-billion takeover bid made by Woodside Petroleum Ltd, the biggest energy company in Australia. The rejection has turned out to be a major hurdle for Woodside Petroleum as the energy major is exploring low-cost LNG assets in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nearby neighbor of Australia.
The output for German industry soared for the month of July at its quickest rates so far this year, shown by the data from the Economy Ministry on Monday. This means that Europes's biggest economy was powered even at the beginning of Q3 according to Reuters.
Apple has recently launched the new phone with much cacophony with a built-in new camera and pressure-sensitive display. The only thing which is new to the eye is its very pink rose gold colour and tiny "S" on the back, as reported by the Independent news.
