Articles by Northern Financial Review


Chester’s GB Group to buy PCA Predict for £74m

Chester-based identity data company GB Group said it conditionally agreed to acquire address validation firm PCA Predict for a total of £73.85 million. “The £73,852,423 total consideration…


Revenue at York’s Gear4music up 58% to £56m

Shares of York-based Gear4music, the online retailer of musical instruments and equipment, rose 4.55% after it said revenue jumped 58% to more than £56 million and underlying operating profit soared…










Far East Consortium to deliver £1bn Northern Gateway

Far East Consortium International Limited (FEC) said it has been selected to work with the Manchester City Council to deliver the “Northern Gateway” — possibly the largest residential regeneration project ever…


N Brown profit falls to £58m on £901m revenue

Manchester-based specialist fit fashion retailer N Brown Group — whose brands include JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo — said its group revenue rose 4% to £900.7 million in the 53 weeks…


Boohoo.com revenue soars 51% to £294.6m

Manchester-based online fashion retailer boohoo.com said its revenue rose 51% to £294.6 million and profit before tax soared 97% to £30.9 million in the year to February 28,…



Virgin Money credit card balances up to £2.7bn

Newcastle and Edinburgh-based challenger bank Virgin Money insisted it had maintained a “strong focus on asset quality” as its credit card balances grew about 8% to £2.7 billion in the…



Leeds gets £173m transport funding package

Leeds is set to benefit from a £173.5 million UK government funding package that will provide high frequency busways, improved park and ride facilities and better stops…













Leeds’ Dart Group lifts profit expectations

Leeds-based leisure and logistics firm Dart Group, owner of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said in a trading update it expects underlying profit before taxation for the year ended March 31, 2017, to…


Utilitywise shares hit amid loss, chairman move

Shares of Newcastle-based utility consultancy Utilitywise fell more than 11% after it said executive chairman and founder Geoff Thompson would become non-executive chairman with immediate effect and…


NCC installs exec chairman amid upheaval

Manchester-based cyber security company NCC Group said on Monday it appointed Chris Stone as executive chairman with effect from April 6, 2017. “It is intended that he will…



Drax succeeds in $35m Louisiana Pellets bid

Selby, North Yorkshire-based power company Drax Group said that following the conclusion of an auction, Drax had been “provisionally successful” in its bid to acquire the assets of Louisiana…



AO World raises £50m; revenue to hit £700m

Bolton-based online electrical retailer AO World said it raised £50 million in a placing of 37.73 million shares at 132.5p — representing about 9% of the firm’s share capital. Further, in…


Sirius Minerals plans move from AIM to main market

Scarborough-based Sirius Minerals plc, the firm behind the controversial $2.9 billion fertilizer mine in North Yorkshire, said it plans to apply to move its share listing from AIM to the main…





Revenue tops €5bn at Sunderland’s Arriva

Sunderland-based passenger transport giant Arriva — part of Deutsche Bahn — said its 2016 revenue rose 5.2% to €5.09 billion, allowing it to invest €359 million in its…


CPP shares down as CFO departs, revenue falls

Shares of York-based “international assistance” firm CPP Group fell 14% after it said its 2016 revenue decreased 4% to £73.6 million and that chief financial officer Michael Corcoran would leave the…







Bovis suitor Redrow predicts £306m profit

Flintshire-based house builder Redrow, which has said it still wants to pursue a deal for Bovis Homes, on Wednesday issued a trading update saying its current performance was “robust” and…


Sunderland’s ScS sees revenue hit £158m

Shares of Sunderland-based furniture and floorings retailer ScS Group rose on Tuesday after it said its revenue rose 14.6% to £157.9 million and gross profit increased 12.4% to £72.9 million in the…





Unite buys £34m Durham student development

Unite Group plc said its student accommodation developer Unite Students acquired an asset under development near the University of Durham for £34 million. The accommodation will open in September 2018 and…


Harworth raises £28m to expand land bank

Rotherham-based real estate and brownfield regeneration firm Harworth Group said it conditionally raised £27.8 million by placing 29.2 million new shares at 95p in order to…


Revenue hits £159m at Leeds healthcare firm EMIS

Leeds-based healthcare software and information technology firm EMIS Group said its 2016 revenue rose 2% to £158.7 million and statutory operating profit rose 106% to £23.5 million “despite headwinds created by the NHS…


Toyota invests £240m in Derbyshire plant

Toyota said it will invest a further £240 million in its car plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire to “improve plant competitiveness and … promote UK supply chain efficiencies.” But…



Plans unveiled for £5bn Liverpool Waters scheme

The Peel Group-led consortium behind the £5 billion Liverpool Waters development unveiled the first glimpse of the new Central Docks neighbourhood at the MIPIM property conference in Cannes…









Sheffield’s Benchmark in Norwegian salmon deal

Sheffield-based Benchmark Holdings, the aquaculture biotechnology and food chain sustainability company, said it signed a long-term agreement with major Norwegian salmon producer SalMar ASA “to provide genetics, health…


Metronet acquires Venus for London expansion

Manchester-based internet infrastructure firm Metronet (UK), backed by mid-market private equity firm Livingbridge, said it acquired London-based fibre network provider Venus Business Communications. The acquisition of Venus follows Metronet’s…




Logistics North helps Harworth to £335m NAV

Rotherham-based real estate and brownfield regeneration firm Harworth Group said its 2016 net asset value (NAV) rose 12.5% to £334.9 million — 115p per share — helped…