Not so comfortable: French Connection to post £14m loss

French Connection, the high street retailer which owns the Nicole Farhi, fcuk and Toast brands, is expected to announce on Wednesday it is still trading in the red after another tough year.

Investec Securities analyst Natalia Marisova forecasts the retailer will post a £14m loss, an improvement on last year's £17.4m unadjusted loss. But the firm, founded by Stephen Marks, who owns just over 40 per cent, has more than £20m of cash on the books. Shares have firmed to 42p, valuing it at £40m.