KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
national
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Extra toppings are good for takeaway PIZZA firm Domino’s said strong sales driven by demand from fans of the World Cup and ITV show Britain’s Got Talent helped half-year profits jump 28%. The group, which has a branch in St John’s Road, Huddersfield, posted like-for-like sales growth of 13.7% in the 26 weeks to June 27, leading to better-than-expected pre-tax profits of £17.5 million. Domino’s, which was further helped by offers such as its Two for Tuesday promotion, also maintained expansion plans with the opening of 19 new stores during the period, bringing its UK and Ireland total to 627. The company holds the master franchise to own, operate and fran-
chise Domino’s Pizza stores in the UK and Ireland. The first UK store opened in Luton in 1985 and the first Irish store opened in 1991. The group plugged its best-selling Pepperoni Passion pizza on ITV1 before England’s clashes with the USA and Algeria – encouraging viewers to order a pizza before kick off for delivery at half-time – as well as running adverts on radio station TalkSport and online promotions through Facebook. It has just completed its third year of sponsorship of Britain’s Got Talent and has also benefited from faster delivery times as well as favourable comparisons with weaker trading last year. Chief executive Chris Moore said:
“It is easy to try and attribute our success to one thing – be it the weather, or Britain’s Got Talent, or the World Cup – but the underlying trend shows a more compelling picture.” Domino’s, which remains on track to open 55 new stores this year, warned of much tougher sales comparisons in the second half of 2010. Customers are also logging on in growing numbers to order takeaways, the firm added. Internet pizza sales are up more than 60% on a year earlier at £56.9 million and now account for almost 33% of delivered sales. The firm’s new, bigger base for manufacturing ingredients opened at Milton Keynes last month.
MARKS & Spencer will take its turn in the executive pay spotlight when the retail chain holds its annual shareholder meeting tomorrow. Following a clash with investors at last year’s AGM, the high street retailer is on another collision course amid concerns over packages for new boss Mark Bolland and outgoing chief Sir Stuart Rose. More than a fifth of shareholders who voted last year failed to back Sir Stuart’s re-election to the board over his controversial dual role as executive chairman against City best practice.
■ ALL BOXED UP: Domino’s Pizza has had strong sales
Building firm sees new hopes
New jobs on way at TNT
CONSTRUCTION group Kier cheered signs of revival in commercial building markets. The company flagged up annual profits at the top end of market hopes. The Bedfordshire-based firm said it had secured high volumes of work. And a spokesman added that previously mothballed private commercial projects were being resurrected as funding becomes available. The upbeat comments, which lifted shares 4%, are welcome after gloom in the sector last week as the Government took the axe to the Building Schools for the Future
A MAJOR rival to Royal Mail in the UK postal market announced plans to expand its workforce by a fifth and bolster its regional presence. TNT Post, which currently handles 280 million items a month, is also planning to invest £3 million in sorting and processing technology. It expects to have more than 1,000 employees in the UK following the recruitment drive. The new staff will include new client managers and operational staff. The business has a network of five regional offices and will extend this to cover a new hub in Northern Ireland
(BSF) project. Kier is braced for further cuts but said its exposure to the BSF project – which included more than 20 school projects across Kirklees – was not “material”. The firm said its building business was focused on more “non-discretionary” areas such as power and utilities, while it also hopes for a boost from the recently approved Crossrail cross-London rail link. Kier also hopes to grow revenues in overseas markets as it establishes itself in markets including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Hong Kong.
Sparks at Marks?
in the autumn. It is also looking for a central distribution hub to boost efficiency and increase its capacity. The Dutch-owned firm has won business from high-profile customers including Centrica and BT since entering the UK market six years ago. The global transportation and distribution business is a vast industry which is estimated to be worth over US$3,500 billion. TNT serves more than 200 countries and employs around 160,000 people.
Housing optimism PROPERTY professionals are predicting further house price falls following a surge in the number of homes being put up for sale, research indicated today. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said that in June 4% more of its members expected prices to fall during the coming months than those who thought they would rise. The pessimism, which contrasts with the previous month when surveyors were still predicting further price rises, comes as the supply of homes for sale continues to increase.
SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN American Express £28.39 +0.04 Gannett 958.72 -29.29 Hess Corp £35.32 -0.12 Microsoft 1639.81 +23.97 Motors Liquidation 49.93 Wal-Mart Stores £33.30 +0.39 AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Avon Rbbr 1091/2 BAE Systems 321 -3/4 Rolls-Royce Gp 586 +31/2 AIM Brady Plc 60 Dawson Intl 2 -1/2 Man Brnze 303/4 AUTOMOBILES & PARTS GKN 1303/8 +1/4 BANKS Barclays 300 -1/2 HSBC 6323/8 +51/4 Lloyds Banking Gp 621/4 +1/2 Ryl Scotland 445/8 +3/8 Stan Chart 1727 +81/2 BEVERAGES Diageo 1099 +11 SABMiller 19441/2 +211/2 CHEMICALS Croda 1084 -7 Elementis 98 68 +3/4 Johnsn Mat 1560 +2 CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS Balfour Beatty 2461/4 +1/2 Costain 2023/4 +51/2 ELECTRICITY Drax Grp 3835/8 -91/2
Intl Power 3165/8 -2 Scottish & Sthrn 1181 +1 Energy ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Chloride 3711/4 -1/8 Laird 1053/8 +23/4 EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS Alliance Trust 3167/8 +33/4 FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICES BT Grp 1383/4 -11/4 Cable & Wireless 59 -5/8 Comm 1 Cable & Wireless 88 /8 +1/4 Wwide Colt Group 1245/8 +1/2 KCOM 46 +11/2 Talktalk Telecom 120 -3/8 FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS Morrison W 2801/4 -1/4 Sainsbury 3437/8 +7/8 3 Tesco 395 /8 +1/4 FOOD PRODUCERS AB Food 1013 +6 Nth Foods 463/4 +3/4 3 Tate Lyle 486 /8 +21/4 Unilever 1844 +9 Uniq 13 +1/4 GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES Centrica 3091/2 +13/8 National Grid 4957/8 +1 Pennon Grp 576 Severn 1273 -4 United Utils 5541/2 -1/2 GENERAL FINANCIAL 3i Group 2781/2 +1/8 ICAP 4327/8 +13/4
London StockExch 5941/2 -21/2 Man Group 2153/4 -37/8 Provident Financial 8571/2 +11/2 Schroders 1225 -1 Schroders NV 1027 +2 GENERAL INDUSTRIALS Cooksn Grp 4193/8 -71/4 REXAM 3151/8 +41/8 Smiths Grp 1107 GENERAL RETAILERS Ashley L 13 Carphone Whse 1933/4 +13/4 DSG International 271/8 Home Retail 2251/2 -3/4 Inchcape 2861/8 +157/8 1 Kingfisher 216 /4 -3 M&S 3481/8 +1/8 Mothercare 551 -12 +1/8 Next £203/4 WH Smith 4121/4 +41/8 HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES Smith Nph 604 -3 HOUSEHOLD GOODS Aga Rangemaster 953/4 +21/4 Barrat Dev 1021/2 +3/8 Persimmon 3883/8 +2 1 +1/4 Reckitt Benckiser £32 /4 7 Taylor Wimpey 26 /8 -3/8 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Charter 666 -7 IMI 7241/2 +31/2 INDUSTRIAL METALS Ferrexpo 2731/4 +31/4 INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION BBA Aviation 1933/8 +21/2 Forth Ports 1190 -10
LIFE INSURANCE Aviva 3453/4 Lgl & Gen 851/2 Old Mutual 1127/8 Prudential 534 Resolution 701/8 Standard Life 1891/2 MEDIA BSkyB 695 Chrysalis 1031/4 D Mail Tst 4605/8 ITV 525/8 Johnston Press 141/2 Pearson 919 Reed Elsevier 515 STV Group 703/4 Trinity Mirror 761/4 Utd Business 521 UTV 114 WPP 6501/2 Yell Group 263/8 MINING Anglo American £237/8 Antofagasta 902 BHP Billiton 1825 Eurasian Natural 855 Res Fresnillo 1072 Kazakhmys 1057 Lonmin 1457 Rio Tinto £31 VEDANTA £223/4 RESOURCES Xstrata 9311/4 MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES Inmarsat 7341/2 Vodafone Group 1433/8 NONLIFE INSURANCE
+41/2 -1/2 +3/8 -3 +1/8 -11/8 +11/2 +11/4 -1/2 +1/2 +10 -21/2 +1/4 -3/4 +31/2 +2 +2 -1/4 -3/8 +16 -271/2 -14 -17 -31 -24 -3/4 -1/4 -123/8 1
- /2 -1/8
Local shares Carclo Chapelthorpe Marshalls National Grid Weir Gp
1501/2 23 92 4957/8 1161
-71/2 +31/4 +1 -7
FTSE closed at
5167.02 Up 34.08
Admiral Grp 1460 -14 RSA Insurance Gp 1231/4 -1/4 OIL & GAS PRODUCERS BG 10821/2 +1 BP 399 +341/8 1 Cairn Energy 459 /4 +83/4 Norsk Hdro 484 Royal Dutch Shell A 1771 +11 Royal Dutch Shell B 1690 +13 1 Total £32 /8 +1/8 Tullow Oil 1141 +13 OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES AMEC 871 +7
Petrofac 1256 +20 Wood Group 3471/4 +51/4 PERSONAL GOODS Burberry 7891/2 -41/2 PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY Astrazeneca £323/8 +1/8 Axis-Shield 2481/2 +41/2 GlaxoSmithK XD 13 Shire 1450 +8 REAL ESTATE Brit Land 450 +21/2 Captl Shop Cent 3205/8 +33/8 DTZ Hldgs 601/2 -11/2 Hamrsn 3601/2 +51/2 1 Land Secs 582 /2 +31/2 SEGRO 2721/4 +25/8 SOFTWARE ETC SERVICES Autonomy Corp 1880 +5 Dimension Data 961/4 +13/8 Invensys 2651/8 -21/2 Logica 1053/8 -31/8 Misys 2481/4 +11/4 Sage Group 2371/4 +23/4 SUPPORT SERVICES Bunzl 690 +1/2 Capita 7421/2 +21/2 Davis Service 3713/8 +1/2 Group De La Rue 921 Electrocomp 2265/8 +27/8 Experian 613 +8 1 G4S 268 /4 +33/8 Hays 953/4 -7/8 Homeserve £21 Menzies J 387 -4 Rentokil 1111/4 +11/4 Smiths News 112 Wolseley 1396 +8
IT HARDWARE ARM Hldgs Psion Spirent Comms
299 751/2 1157/8
TOURIST RATES
+31/2 +3/4 +3/4
TOBACCO Br Am Tob Imperial Tobacco
£221/4 1888
+1/8 +5
LEISURE & HOTELS Arriva Brit Airways Carnival Compass Grp easyJet Enterprise Inns FirstGroup Go-Ahead Greene King Intercontl Htls Ladbrokes Mitchells & Butlers Natl Express PartyGaming Rank Org Stagecoach Group TUI Travel Whitbread
766 2043/4 £221/8 5401/2 413 951/4 3915/8 1110 4343/4 1120 1361/8 2943/4 2323/4 2381/4 1033/8 1813/4 2201/2 1411
-1/2 -2 +31/2 -11/4 +1/8 +61/4 +5 +3/4 +13/8 -31/4 +11/2 +63/8 +3/8 -23/4 -21/4 +10
FTSE 100
INDEX 5167.02
+34.08
FTSE 250
INDEX 9774.16
+28.37
Tourists going abroad can expect the following rates for sterling: Australia...................... 1.62 dollars Bangladesh................... 98.01 taka Brazil.............................. 2.35 reals Canada....................... 1.47 dollars China ............................. 9.05 yuan Czech Republic ...... 27.64 korunas Denmark....................... 8.43 krone Euro............................... 1.13 euro Hong Kong................ 11.04 dollars Hungary................... 297.52 forints India.......................... 61.61 rupees Japan........................... 126.59 yen Mexico ....................... 17.02 pesos New Zealand .............. 1.97 dollars Norway ......................... 9.10 krone Pakistan.................. 120.84 rupees Philippines ................. 59.24 pesos South Africa................. 10.59 rand South Korea.............. 1568.00 won Sri Lanka ................ 159.98 rupees Sweden....................... 10.73 krona Switzerland.................. 1.51 francs Taiwan ...................... 41.92 dollars Turkey....................... 2.22 new lira USA ............................ 1.43 dollars