THE DAILY BRIEFING
GANDHI STAMPS Collectibles dealer Stanley Gibbons has sold a rare set of Indian stamps featuring Mahatma Gandhi for a record £500,000 to an Australian collector. The block of four stamps is one of just two blocks owned by a private investor. The other is in the Queen’s Royal Philatelic Collection. RETAILER SLUMP Womenswear retailer Bonmarche has reported a slump in annual sales and expects further challenges. Total sales in the 53 weeks to April 1 dropped 0.5pc, while sales at stores open more than a year took a 4.3pc plunge. BMW STRIKE Production of the Mini has been halted because of a 24-hour strike by BMW workers in a dispute over pensions. Production stopped at Hams Hall in the West Midlands and Swindon in the first of eight stoppages by Unite members. PEST PROFITS Aggressive acquisitions boosted pest controller Rentokil, which reported a 22.9pc rise in sales to £580m in the first three months of the year. SPORTSWEAR DEAL Grocer Sainsbury’s is introducing sportswear from Russell Athletic, charging £12 for a T-shirt and £6 for socks. ASSETS BOOM Assets managed by US business BlackRock surged to £4.2trillion in the first three months of 2017 – up 15pc on a year earlier. Profits rose 31pc to £670.8m. FUJITSU DISPUTE Workers at Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu are to stage a 48-hour strike from Thursday in a dispute over cuts to jobs and pensions. Members of Unite at sites including London, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester will take part. EXCHANGE AID Engineering data and design group Aveva has received a boost from foreign exchange movements as it said cash generation would be ahead of expectations – about £130m. LEWIS OFF John Lewis, founder of kitchen-maker John Lewis of Hungerford, has stepped down after an overhaul of its management. FUNDS OUT Investors pulled £1.8bn out of fund manager Henderson Group in the first quarter of the year. Bosses said it was partly down to restructuring in the global equities team. SALES BOOST Sales at outsourcing firm Bunzl rose 18pc in the first three months of 2017 due to new business wins and acquisitions.