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Irish telecoms group Eircom is facing a possible bid from Australian investment group Babcock and Brown, which has been increasing its stake in the firm. Babcock is now the biggest shareholder in Eircom, holding more than 23% of its stock, nearly double its previous holding of 12.5%. If the investment group increases its stake to 29.9% that would automatically trigger a bid for Eircom. Eircom said last month it had received an approach from Babcock, but no bid. Babcock's executive director ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- French adverting interest Publicis Groupe SA on Friday reported a 39% jump in income, which was at the top end of analyst expectations. The group said 2005 net profit climbed 39% to 386 million euros ($461 million) from 278 million euros a year ago. Revenue climbed 7.7% to 4.13 billion euros. It also said it will propose a 20% dividend increase to 0.36 euros a share. Publ ...

Restructuring of print manufacturing overseas and in the UK plus price pressure, plus a strategic review that raised the prospect of the Leeds-based company being taken over combined to tot up substantial one-off costs.On the positive side, the company's focus on print management for blue-chip customers showed small signs of paying off in 2005. The contribution from orders won with the big banks,  ...

Jim Armitage, Evenign Standard3 March 2006 THE armoured van and cash transit industry is set to see insurance premiums rocket by as much as 50% in the wake of the £53m Tonbridge robbery, Lloyd's underwriters said today. OTHER STORIES Households owe £2.6bn Wetherspoon puts pub smoking ban on hold Market report: Friday 09.00 HMV stalker ups the takeover ante Rank signals slo ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons posted a 65 percent rise in annual profit on Friday and said it expected similar growth and results in 2006 after the successful launch of new investment products. The comments pushed its shares 20 percent higher to a record high at 118 pence in early trading, valuing Jersey-based Stanley Gibbons at 29 million pounds. Growth has come as collectors turn to the Internet and email to trade rather than use printed catalogues delivered by "snail mail" ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's biggest car rental firm Avis Europe posted a fall in 2005 underlying profit on Friday but said its expectations for 2006 remained broadly unchanged and its turnaround strategy was on track. Avis (AVE.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , almost 60 percent owned by Belgian car distributor D'Iteren, said profit before tax and exceptional items for 2005 was 37.8 million euros (25.9 million pounds) compared to 52.1 million euros the year before as group revenue rose 1.9 percent ...

Leading share markets in Asia tumbled Friday, as the release of stronger- than-expected inflation data out of Japan, a lower finish on Wall Street Thursday and rebounding crude-oil prices made for an uncertain picture. Concern the Bank of Japan will move to amend monetary policy received a boost Friday after the government released January consumer price index data showing the biggest gains in  ...

Japan’s stock market reacted badly on Friday morning to stronger than expected consumer price inflation numbers, with falls in both domestic and export stocks. // By midday the Nikkei 225 was down 0.9 per cent to 15,773.48. The Topix also fell 0.9 per cent to 1,617.54. Real estate stocks reacted badly because the high inflation figures make an imminent end to quantitative monetary easing more l ...

By Matt Daily HOUSTON (Reuters) - Enron Corp.'s top managers fretted over a damning 2001 analyst report, fearful that Wall Street had uncovered its accounting tricks, a former executive testified on Thursday at the trial of former CEOs Jeffrey Skilling and Ken Lay. The witness, Kevin Hannon, said the report published in May 2001 by the Off Wall Street Consulting Group valued Enron at only half i ...

LOS ANGELES (Dow Jones) -- Microsoft Corp. filed a formal complaint on Thursday charging European antitrust officials colluded with its rivals during an investigation into the software giant's compliance with an earlier antitrust ruling against it. The European Commission's antitrust chief Neelie Kroes responded by saying Microsoft would be fined if it continued to resist complying with antirus ...