CASE STUDIES
1.1 Shell Group plc (p13) http://www.shell.com/
Company Summary
Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch company active within the oil and gas, chemicals and renewables industries. The Company was formed for the unification of the Netherlands-based N.V. Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij (Royal Dutch Petroleum Company) and United Kingdom-based Shell Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c. businesses. Royal Dutch Shell is operational through four principal divisions: Upstream, exploring and producing oil and natural gas, as well as constructing infrastructure for the hydrocarbon market; Downstream, engaged in the refining of oil into lubricants, fuels and petrochemicals, and the operation of 46,000 service stations; Everyday Products, which sells automotive fuels and lubricants, as well as natural gas and base chemicals, and Renewables and Hydrogen, developing hydrogen-based, solar and wind energy facilities. Royal Dutch Shell is operational internationally, with activities in more than 140 countries and territories. Source: Google Finance
1.2 Body Shop International plc (p13) http://www.thebodyshopinternational.com/
Company Summary
Body Shop International Plc develops and sells skin and hair care products and related items through its shops, franchised outlets, home sales, mail order catalogues and the Internet. The geographical segments of the Company include Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. As of February 26, 2005, its subsidiaries included Soapworks Limited, Skin & Hair Care Preparations Inc, The Body Shop Inc, The Body Shop Canada Limited, The Body Shop (Singapore) Pte Limited, The Body Shop International (Asia Pacific) Pte Limited, The Body Shop Hong Kong Limited, Mighty Ocean Company Limited, The Body Shop At Home Limited, The Body Shop (France) SARL, The Body Shop Beteiligungs-GmbH, The Body Shop On-Line I Limited and The Body Shop On-Line II Limited. Source: Google Finance
1.3 GlaxoSmithKline plc (p15) http://www.gsk.com/
Company Summary
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) and its subsidiary and associated undertakings, constitute a global healthcare group engaged in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical and consumer health-related products. GSK operates 2.1principally The National in two industryGrid (p27) segments: Pharmaceuticals (prescription pharmaceuticals and http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/vaccines), and Consumer Healthcare (over-the-counter medicines, oral care and nutritional healthcare). The major markets for the Company's products are the United States of America, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain. During 2.2the BP year plc ended (p36) December 31, 2005, 18 compounds entered clinical trials for the first time. http://www.bp.com/GSK has a portfolio of products, ranging from tablets and toothpaste to inhalers and complex capsules, in over 28,000 different pack sizes and presentations. Source: Google Finance
3.1 Manchester United plc (p55) http://www.manutd.com/
Company Summary
4.1Manchester BG plc (p74) United PLC operates a professional football club together with related and http://www.bg-group.com/ancillary activities. Manchester United has seven days per week pay television channel, http://www.bgplc.com/MUTV, in joint venture with BSkyB and Granada. Through MU Mobile, the Company delivers short messaging service (SMS) messages to various fans, keeping them in touch 6.1with Thorntons developments plc (p130)at the club from ticket availability, cup draws and action from the matches. As part of the new arrangements with Nike, Manchester United re-branded their http://www.thorntons.co.uk/previous Nike Cup youth tournament, the Manchester United Premier Cup. The Company's partner for One United Cafes opened the first two restaurants in Beijing and 6.2Chengdu J Sainsbury in China. plc MBNA (p131) Europe Bank is the provider for the Manchester United credit http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/card in the United Kingdom and is available in southern Africa, Ireland, the United States of America, Greece and Malaysia through partnership with Barclaycard International. Source: Google Finance
7.1 Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (p144) http://www.rbs.co.uk/
Company Summary
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc serves as the holding company for an international banking and financial services group. The Company's activities are organized six business divisions: Corporate Markets, a provider of banking services and integrated financial solutions to corporate customers in the United Kingdom and corporates and financial institutions globally; Retail Markets, provides a range of banking, financial, insurance, life assurance, pension, credit card and charge card products and client services for private, corporate, expatriate and offshore customer; Ulster Bank, which operates across Ireland providing a range of banking and financial products and services for personal customers and corporates. Citizens, a commercial banking organization in the United States; RBS Insurance sells and underwrites insurance, and Manufacturing provides customer support through telephony, account management, lending, mortgage processing and money transmission.
Source: Google Finance
7.2 Manchester United plc (p153) http://www.manutd.com/
8.1 British Gas plc (p162) http://www.bgplc.com/
Company Summary
British Energy Group Plc (British Energy) is engaged in generation, sale and trading of electricity. The Company owns and operates eight nuclear power stations and one coal- fired power station in the United Kingdom. Of its nuclear power stations, seven are advanced gas cooled reactor (AGR) power stations (Dungeness B, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2, Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B and Torness) and the eighth (Sizewell B) is the Company's sole pressurized water reactor (PWR) power station. British Energy's nuclear power stations have a combined capacity of approximately 9,600 megawatt. Eggborough, its coal-fired power station in Yorkshire has capacity of approximately 2,000 megawatt. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, the Company's power stations produced total output of 67.4 terawatt hours, which was comprised of output of 59.8 terawatt hours from its nuclear power stations and 7.6 terawatt hours from Eggborough power station.
Source: Google Finance
8.2 Scottish Power plc (p167) http://www.scottishpower.plc.uk/
Company Summary
Scottish Power plc (Scottish Power) is a public limited company registered in Scotland. Through its operating subsidiaries, the Company provides in excess of 6.7 million electricity or gas services to homes and businesses in the western United States and across the United Kingdom. It provides electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply services in both countries. In addition, the Company's North American activities extend to coal mining and gas storage, including gas facilities in western Canada, Texas and New Mexico. In Great Britain, ScottishPower also stores and supplies gas. Scottish Power's strategy is delivered through four businesses: PacifiCorp, Infrastructure Division, UK Division and PPM Energy, Inc. (PPM).
Source: Google Finance
8.3 BG Group plc and Manchester United plc (p176) http://www.bg-group.com/ http://www.manutd.com/
Company Summary
BG Group Plc is a natural gas company based in the United Kingdom. The operations of the Company comprise Exploration and Production (E&P), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Transmission and Distribution (T&D), Power Generation (Power) and Other activities. E&P comprises exploration, development, production and marketing of hydrocarbons with a focus on natural gas. LNG combines the development and use of LNG import and export facilities with the purchase, shipping and sale of LNG and regasified natural gas. T&D develops, owns and operates major pipelines and distribution networks, and supplies natural gas through these to the end customer. Power develops, owns and operates natural gas-fired power generation plants around the world. Other activities primarily comprise business development expenditure and corporate costs.
Source: Google Finance
8.4 Additions and disposals of fixed assets: Manchester United plc (p180) http://www.manutd.com/
9.1 BP plc (p192) http://www.bp.com/
Company Summary
BP p.l.c. is an oil company. The operating business segments were Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; Petrochemicals, and Gas, Power and Renewables. Exploration and Production's activities include oil and natural gas exploration and field development and production, together with pipeline transportation and natural gas processing. The activities of Refining and Marketing include oil supply and trading, as well as refining and marketing. The Petrochemicals segment ceased to operate separately as of January 1, 2005. Gas, Power and Renewables activities include marketing and trading of natural gas, natural gas liquids , new market development and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and solar and renewables. The Company formed the TNK-BP joint venture between the Company and the Alfa Group and Access-Renova (ARR). In addition, it plans to incorporate AAR's 50% interest in OAO Slavneft, a Russian oil company, into TNK-BP.
Source: Google Finance
9.2 BP plc (p194) http://www.bp.com/
9.3 Rolls Royce plc (p197) http://www.rolls-royce.com/index_flash.jsp
Company Summary
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a United Kingdom-based manufacturing company. The Company manufactures engines for use on land, sea and air. It comprises five business segments. Civil Aerospace produces engines used in airlines, regional aircrafts, corporate jets and helicopters. Defense Aerospace manufactures engines that power aircrafts in military aviation market sectors, from military transport aircrafts and helicopters, to trainers and combat aircrafts. Marine offers product portfolio that varies from vessel design and gas turbine engines to water jets and deck handling equipment. Energy supplies over 5,000 units of engines used in the oil and gas industries to customers in nearly 120 countries. Financial Services tailor to the specific requirement of each individual client, providing export credit financing, asset-based trading and support, dedicated leasing, operating and finance lease, pooling, short term leasing and capital market products.
Source: Google Finance
10.1 Majestic Wine plc (p217) http://www.majestic.co.uk/
Company Summary
Majestic Wine PLC is engaged in the retail sale of wines and beers. It operates a wine warehouse chain with 115 stores in the United Kingdom, specializing in the sale of beers and wines by the mixed case direct to the public. The Company focuses its annual marketing activity on five distinct periods: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Christmas and Winter, each supported by a promotional program including the mailing of its price list to customers on the Company's database. The database includes 47,000 addresses. A selection of wine regions is chosen for each campaign, and wines are made available to customers for tasting over themed weekends. Majestic Wine is also involved in the sale of wines and beers to corporate customers. In addition, it operates the www.majestic.co.uk. portal for the online sale of its wines and beers. Furthermore, during the fiscal year ended March 29, 2004, the Company opened a climate-controlled fine wine center in St. John's Wood. The center has a stock of 200 wines. Source: Google Finance
11.1 Majestic Wine plc (p238) http://www.majestic.co.uk/
12.1 Manchester United plc (p252) http://www.manutd.com/
12.2 Statement of recognized gains and losses: GKN plc (p254) http://www.gknplc.com/
Company Summary
GKN plc is a global engineering business serving the automotive, off-highway and aerospace markets. Automotive activities comprise GKN Driveline, Powder Metallurgy and other automotive companies, which supply a variety of components, to the global car and light vehicle markets. OffHighway designs and manufactures steel wheels and driveline systems for the global agricultural, construction and industrial machinery markets. Aerospace activities are concentrated on structural components, propulsion systems and special components for both military and civil aerospace markets. The Company is a supplier to the global automotive industry operating from engineering and manufacturing facilities in more than 30 countries. GKN's OffHighway division offers its customers a portfolio of products from wheels to continuously variable transmissions. GKN Aerospace operates from technology, engineering and production facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Source: Google Finance
12.3 Movements in shareholders’ funds: Next plc (p255) http://order.next.co.uk/aboutnext/index.asp
12.4 Financial statements – comparisons over time: BP plc and Thorntons plc (p261) http://www.bp.com/ http://www.thorntons.co.uk/
Company Summary
Thorntons plc is a specialty food company engaged in the manufacture, retail and distribution of Thorntons-branded confectionery, as well as other sweet foods. The Company also operates a chain of coffee shops under the banner Cafe Thorntons, throughout the Untied Kingdom. Thorntons distributes it products principally through its own retail stores, franchises, gift delivery service and commercial channels, predominantly in the North and Midlands of the United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland. The Company also has a licensed product range comprised of a variety foods and drinks including puddings and chilled desserts, which are sold through multiple grocers.
Source: Google Finance
More information can be found at http://finance.google.com/finance