news 7 Shareleague Thames Valley Presented by in association with Business T H E M A G A Z I N E


Micro Focus International, the Newbury-based software and information technology business that aims to modernise the world's business applications through its solutions, was by far the biggest riser among large companies in the Thames Valley share price league table for September.


The news that excited the City was a proposed merger between Micro Focus and the Texas- headquartered Attachmate Group to create a leading global infrastructure software company. It said it had reached agreement on the terms of a merger which would result in the enlarged group benefiting from a top three global market position in a number of key segments, including off- mainframe COBOL, mainframe modernisation, host connectivity and Linux operating systems.


The combined group will have revenues of $1.4 billion and a staff of 4,500 located in all key geographies, serving more than 30,000 customers.


The star share of the month, however, was in the medium- sized company section where the North Bucks-based Nanco Group saw its price rise over 40%.


The group was started by three brothers in 1981 and has since evolved into an umbrella group that has designed, developed and owned award-winning oriental restaurants, while its business developments include supermarket shops and office spaces, and it is also busy in the residential and healthcare sectors. “We are always keen to acquire new commercial sites in the UK and abroad,” it states.


Large (over £1 billion) Closing price


MICRO FOCUS INTL. SHIRE


ASHTEAD GROUP ICTL.HTLS.GP.


CABLE & WIRELESS COMMS. SPECTRIS


SERCO GROUP ELEMENTIS


29/08/14 871.5


4,923.0 979.5


RECKITT BENCKISER GROUP 5,250.0 BG GROUP


2,309.0 1,201.5 1,947.0


49.5


310.4 280.6


Closing price 30/09/14 1,060.0 5,340.0 1,043.0 2,379.0 5,350.0 1,140.0 46.9


1,808.0 286.1 255.5


Medium (£250 million to £1 billion) Closing price


NANOCO GROUP SDL


KOFAX


VITEC GROUP GENUS


ELECTROCOMP. INTERSERVE


OXFORD INSTRUMENTS SHANKS GROUP DE LA RUE


29/08/14 106.5 330.3 473.0 604.8


1,124.0 244.3 662.0


1,179.0 105.8 711.0


VERNALIS


OXFORD BIOMEDICA ACAL


MCKAY SECURITIES


REAL ESTATE INVESTORS VISLINK MCBRIDE


TISSUE REGENIX GROUP MICHELMERSH BRICK HDG. KBC ADVANCED TECHS.


29/08/14 43.3 3.5


233.4 226.0 52.0 48.8 92.0 27.0 71.0


116.5


Sub £50 million Closing price


GUSCIO MBL GROUP


RESOURCE HOLDING MAN. TRIAD GROUP ANGLE


EGDON RESOURCES IS SOLUTIONS


OXFORD TECHNOLOGY 2 VCT ENV.RCYC.TECHNOLOGIES CORAC GROUP


29/08/14 9.8 7.5


14.9 11.0 86.0 23.1 54.5 18.0 0.7 7.3


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – NOVEMBER 2014


Closing price 30/09/14 150.3 345.0 480.3 613.5


1,130.0 223.0 599.5


1,020.0 90.0


477.0


Small (£50 million to £250 million) Closing price


Closing price 30/09/14 49.6 3.7


246.5 237.5 53.5 46.1 87.0 25.5 67.0


105.0


Closing price 30/09/14 12.5 9.3


16.8 12.3 94.5 20.3 47.5 14.0 0.5 5.5


Change in share price 22% 8% 6% 3% 2%


-5% -5% -7% -8% -9%


Change in share price 41% 4% 2% 1% 1%


-9% -9%


-13% -15% -33%


Change in share price 15% 6% 6% 5% 3%


-5% -5% -6% -6%


-10%


Change in share price 28% 23% 13% 11% 10%


-12% -13% -22% -23% -24%


university news


BBC director of music Bob Shennan


BBC director of music awarded honorary doctorate


by Bucks New University


The BBC’s director of music, Bob Shennan, who is also controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Buckinghamshire New University.


The award was made in recognition of his role as one of the most significant controllers of BBC Radio in recent years, having been at the top of music, news and sports programming and broadcasting.


Shennan was among a distinguished gathering honoured at Bucks New University’s graduation ceremonies at the Wycombe Swan theatre.


A regular visitor to and supporter of the university, Shennan is responsible for driving the music strategy across the BBC, delivering a step change in music output across television, radio and online.


He said of his honorary award: "I am a northerner by birth, but have spent my working life in and around London. High Wycombe is my adoptive home and so I feel especially honoured and humbled to receive this award from Bucks New University."


Shennan was appointed controller of Radio 5 Live in August 2000 and in September 2002 launched Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Under his leadership, 5 Live reached a record audience in 2002 of just under seven million listeners.


Shennan was given overall managerial responsibility for the BBC Asian Network in 2004. He was then appointed controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music in January 2009.


Later that year it was Shennan who led Radio 2 through the high- profile transition of Terry Wogan's departure from Wake Up To Wogan after 17 years, to the launch of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show in 2010. In August 2011 he also re-assumed managerial responsibility for the Asian Network, and was appointed director of music in March this year.


Beyond his BBC role, Shennan is an international board member of the Country Music Association (CMA), based in Nashville, Tennessee, and a trustee of BBC Children in Need.


Professor Ruth Farwell, vice chancellor of Bucks New University, said: “We were delighted that Bob Shennan accepted our invitation to be associated with us in this way. We choose our honorary awardees in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their particular fields, and I am sure that he was an inspiration to the people graduating and to those that will come after them."


Details: 01494-522141 advice@bucks.ac.uk www.bucks.ac.uk


www.businessmag.co.uk


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