The Business Matrix: Wednesday 29 May 2013

City workers 'are ready to up sticks'

Nearly 90 per cent of workers in the City of London could go to work abroad and 58 per cent would be happy to move within the UK, a poll by recruitment agency Astbury Marsden found. It said City staff were mobile enough to up sticks if regulatory and political pressure in Britain became too much to bear.

Ryanair to buy 175 new Boeing jets

Ryanair said it had haggled for discounts and would pay 2005 prices for 175 new Boeing aicraft. The list cost of a 737-800 is $78m (£52m), plus $2.9m for fitting. But the Irish carrier said the US firm had given concessions and its final bill would be "not dissimilar" to 2005 prices. Ryanair will ask investors to approve its purchase on 18 June.

Irn-Bru maker's sales fizz by 2.4%

AG Barr, the maker of Irn-Bru, said yesterday that despite the dire spring weather it managed to increase its sales in the first 15 weeks of the year by 2.4 per cent, as the overall soft drinks market remained unchanged. It said it was still keen to cement a merger with its rival Britvic.

Gatwick charter business takes off

Air Partner, a charter flight broker based at Gatwick, has teamed up with the creative agency Imagination to provide bespoke private jet services to clients through Imagination Aviation. Its clients already include BlackBerry and BT.

EU presses Google for better deal

EU regulators are likely to press Google for more concessions to end a three-year inquiry into claims it squeezed out internet search rivals, the Competition Commissioner, Joaquin Almunia, said. Last month, Google offered to label its own products in search results and make it easier for advertisers to move to competing platforms.

Bank union 'will need new treaty'

The European Union must change its treaties to establish a full banking union, the Bundesbank's vice-president said. Sabine Lautenschläger said a new EU agency with the powers to wind down an insolvent bank would require "a change in the basic law". A reform of the EU's treaties would probably take many years, she added.

Darty mulls job losses to cut costs

The electricals chain Darty plans to cut costs in its core French market to cope with the weak economy, a move that may entail job cuts but not store closures, its chief executive said. Regis Schultz added that Darty was not up for sale and relations with its leading shareholder, Knight Vinke, were good.

£600m navy deal is given to Thales

The Royal Navy has given a 10-year, £600m contract to service the "electronic eyes" of its submarines and ships to the French defence giant Thales. The Ministry of Defence said Thales would maintain 17 sensor systems across the navy's fleet, safeguarding 530 UK jobs.

Sales are nosing up a Treatt

Treatt, which supplies flavours, fragrances and consumer goods ingredients, hopes its monthly sales will reach an all-time high this month. In a statement, the group, based in Bury St Edmunds, said it was likely to beat expectations for the full year.

Coutts revamps HQ in The Strand

The Queen's banker, Coutts, is planning a multimillion-pound refurbishment of its offices in The Strand. It has occupied the listed building since 1904 but has traded on The Strand since 1692. Chief executive Michael Morley said Coutts aimed to consolidate ther bank's London property portfolio from seven buildings to two.