May 6, 2012

LONDON - GroupOut, the market leader in events for the date site industry, today announces that web-based dating specialist Oasis.com has launched the company’s range of singles-only activities.

Events such as wine tasting, group walks, cooking classes, adventure days and more will now be available to Oasis’ 900,000+ UK members seeking to meet like-minded people in a fun, relaxed and safe environment.

“We are always looking at ways to add value for our members. Providing a great range of exciting, fun events where they are able to mix with other singles strengthens that value. “ said Daniel Haigh, Oasis’ Co-Founder. “Further, the GroupOut model gives us an additional revenue stream while increasing attraction to our web site.”

GroupOut offers events on a click-through service that is readily placed as an add-on to the pages of dating sites. They also manage the customer experience and support throughout the event lifecycle. The company launched in January 2012 and has seen immediate adoption with MySingleFriend and now Oasis.com

“We’re thrilled to be offering our hand-picked singles events to Oasis” said Lisa Darch, CEO, GroupOut. “Their commitment to providing fabulous on-line dating services is a perfect match for our portfolio of events.”

Oasis launches its first event to its members this week.

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More:

GroupOut

Oasis: http://www.oasis.com

Leading scheduled leisure airline, Monarch, will launch new routes to ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic’, Dubrovnik, in Croatia and Heraklion in Crete. The flights will operate from Birmingham and London Gatwick airports from 1st May 2012 with fares, including taxes, starting from £29 one way (£72 return).

Flights to Dubrovnik will operate three times a week from London Gatwick airport and two times a week from Birmingham.Flights to Crete airport Heraklion will operate two times a week from both London Gatwick and Birmingham airports.

The new routes are a continuation of Monarch’s expansion strategy revealed last year to focus on its scheduled services and expand its network to new leisure destinations across Europe.

Kevin George, Managing Director of Monarch Airlines comments: “We are delighted to add both Croatia and Crete to our already extensive scheduled network of leisure destinations. The addition of these new routes further reinforces our expansion strategy and our position as the leading leisure-focused airline serving the Mediterranean and the Canaries.”

He continues: “Dubrovnik is an extremely popular tourist destination with over a million holidaymakers visiting last year andCrete has always been a staple beach holiday favourite; we are therefore confident that our product offering is perfectly placed for the Croatian and Greek leisure market.”

http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/businessandeconomy/120430innovation/;jsessionid=chZRPfyNC161bzzb5y61VNhwYM9RWhgl8YYnpjZBhV7fC5krGp5z!-587213559?lang=en

Following reports on 30 April 2012 that Apple was in negotiations with EPIX to start streaming films through its devices saw competitor Netflix’s share price take a hit – falling 3% to rest at $80.14 a share on the Nasdaq.

In the below guide, I show you how to spread bet with City Index on falling share prices using Netflix as an example. I also discuss why you would place a sell spread bet on a market such as Netflix and also what happens if you are wrong, and that market starts to rise.

Double-blow for Netflix

Speaking to Reuters on 30 April, Netflix Chief Executive Officer, Reed Hastings attempted to stifle investor fears by revealing that the company was also in discussions with EPIX – a new online venture by Lions Gate Entertainment, MGM and Viacom – about how they could ‘operate most effectively for both of us’.

However, the damage was already done with the news coming as another blow to the Netflix share price following a 16% fall just over a week ago (24 April) when they released better-than-expected first quarter earnings and revenue, but disappointing subscriber numbers.

Why Spread Bet on falling markets?

With a financial spread betting account http://www.cityindex.co.uk/, investors can trade on a market’s movement, regardless of whether it is rising or falling.

Unlike traditional trading; you do not own the underlying asset. This means two things; one, easy access for a small initial deposit – investors can take a position on over 12,000 financial instruments for an initial deposit between 1% and 10% with City Index http://www.cityindex.co.uk/.

Secondly however, this means that there is a possibility that you can incur losses greater than your initial deposit, if the market moves against your position.

Why Spread Bet on Falling Shares

Using Netflix shares as an example, let us imagine it is 30 April 2012 and reports suggest an affiliation between Apple and EPIX.

By analysing Netflix shares thoroughly, you notice already that they are already under pressure having fallen dramatically from a poor performance on 24 April.

Therefore, you decide to go short and ‘sell’.

How to Spread Bet on Falling Shares

In this example, spread betting provider City Index is offering positions on the Netflix DFT at 8255/8267 – their sell and buy price.

As you are going short and selling, you decide to take a position for £10 per point at 8255.

Within an hour, their share price has fallen 2.9% – but you decide to keep your trade open.

Later in the session the shares price has fallen to 8032 and the Netflix DFT is now trading at 8026/8038.

You decide to cash in your profits by buying back to close the trade at 8038 for £10 per point.

As a result, you net a tax-free* profit of £2170, i.e. (8255-8038) x £10 = £2170

Spread Betting Risks

Consider the above example; as a margined product, spread betting can provide the potential for significant profits when trading on a financial instrument – in particular, at time of volatility.

Margin however, is a double-edged sword; it can also present the potential for significant losses.

Consider the position you took in the above example on the Netflix DFT, and consider you had been wrong and the market has in fact moved against you and risen.

Had you let your losses accumulate after that initial hour, and returned to find the Netflix DFT trading at 8460/8472 (buying back at the buy price of 8472) – you would have incurred a loss of £2170, i.e. (8472-8255) x £10 = £2170.

With this in mind, it is imperative investors utilise the risk management tools http://www.cityindex.co.uk/spread-betting/how-to-manage-risk.aspx available to them as City Index clients.

*Spread betting is currently exempt from UK stamp duty and Capital Gains Tax (CGT). However, UK Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Please seek independent advice if necessary.

About City Index:

Today more and more individual traders are discovering the benefits of derivatives, and many of them are discovering them through a City Index trading platform.

As a group, we transact in excess of 1.5 million trades every month in over 50 countries. We provide access to a wide range of instruments including margined foreign exchange, CFDs and, in the UK, financial spread betting with City Index http://www.cityindex.co.uk/.

We constantly look to improve the performance of our platforms and expand our range of services. The result is our customers benefit from innovative trading tools with transparent pricing, competitive spreads, and a high standard of customer support. Visit http://www.cityindex.co.uk/ for details.

As a leveraged product, spread betting can result in losses greater than your initial deposit. It is imperative that you fully understand the risks and utilise the available risk management tools such as stop loss orders, when trading.

– *37 is the average age house hunters estimate they’ll buy their first home* – *40 per cent plan to rent until they can afford to buy* – *Number of mortgage products available for first time buyers drops by 12 per cent in a year*

With UK market conditions continuing to make it difficult for would-be home owners to get a foot on the property ladder, the average age Brits expect to be able to buy their first property is now 37 years old, according research* from MoneySupermarket.com, the UK’s number one comparison site.

UK adults who do not currently own a property were asked at what age they expect to be able to buy one, and a staggering 41 per cent, some 8 million Brits**, claim they do not intend to buy a property at all.

The number of mortgage products available to first time buyers currently stands at just 1,337, a drop of 187 products*** since this time last year. Prior to the credit crunch there were 14,940 available in July 2007; underlining how conditions have changed for those trying to get onto the property ladder. The average loan to value (LTV) for products available to new buyers is 78 per cent which means someone taking out a mortgage on a £150,000 property for example would need a deposit of £33,000 – well beyond the means of most first time buyers. However, there is still good news for those taking the property plunge – the number of mortgages available for those with only a 10 per cent deposit is currently 209, up 20 per cent on 2011, and the average interest rate for these mortgages has dropped by 1.14 per cent since April 2009.

*Clare Francis, mortgage spokesperson at MoneySupermarket.com said:* “Home ownership is a really big thing here in the UK. For years it has been something millions of people aspire to and therefore it’s surprising to see that this may be changing and that some people are giving up on the hope of ever owning their own home.

“To a certain degree it is perhaps understandable. Despite a stagnant housing market in many areas of the country, property prices remain exceptionally high. Coupled with this, mortgages remain hard to come by with the number of loans available to those with a small deposit well down on the pre-Credit Crunch days. Rising living costs are also making it harder for aspiring first time buyers to save that all important deposit.”

Saving for a deposit

When those with an idea on when they would buy were asked how they planned to pay for the deposit on their new home, 40 per cent say they will rent until they have saved enough. Just nine per cent of would-be homeowners have already saved for a deposit, yet a hopeful six per cent say they will play the lottery for a home deposit over asking their family and friends (five per cent). Six per cent are hoping that house prices will drop further, lessening the amount they need to save.

The research* from MoneySupermarket also asked what Brits had been forced to put on hold in their life due to the economic climate, and found that when it comes to property; 17 per cent of 18 to 34 year olds have put off buying a house and delayed this by four years on average.

*Clare Francis continued:* “Many are taking the decision to rent for longer while they save a large enough deposit to buy their first home. While we have seen an increase in the number of mortgages available up to 90 per cent of the property’s value, the rates on these deals are still higher than if you can scrape a larger deposit together.

“On the plus side the flat housing market means aspiring homeowners can take their time to build up a deposit as they don’t have to worry that prices will become unaffordable if they don’t buy now.

“When it comes to saving for a deposit it’s well worth looking for the most competitive savings rate and consider a cash ISA, as interest is tax free, so that will boost the return. Reviewing personal finances to see where else you can make savings, such as to switch your major bills can help save over £1,000 when using MoneySupermarket and this could be a substantial contribution to the first time mortgage savings pot.”

Notes to editors:

*Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,010 UK adults aged 18+ from 10th to 13th February 2012

** Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria, based on 323 respondents (16%). 16% of 49,969,000 UK adults = 8,029,844

*** First Time Buyer Trends

Number of Number of Average Average Products Average Mortgage Overall Overall available at Rate at Date Products Rate LTV 90% 90%

Apr-09 2,604 5.25% 71% 111 6.47% Apr-10 2,700 4.68% 75% 163 6.02% Apr-11 3,007 4.41% 76% 253 5.78% Apr-12 2,443 4.19% 76% 300 5.27%

Number of Number of Mortgage Products Products available Available to First Average to First Time FTB Time Average Average Buyers at Rate at Date Buyers FTB Rate FTB LTV 90% 90%

Apr-09 1,260 5.35% 73% 62 6.44% Apr-10 1,448 4.77% 76% 119 6.05% Apr-11 1,524 4.47% 77% 174 5.82% Apr-12 1,337 4.22% 78% 209 5.30%

*Sourced by**http://www.MoneySupermarket.com* * * *10.04.2012*

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MoneySupermarket.com compares (at 29th March 2012)

- 98 car insurance providers and 81home insurance providers – 11 broadband providers and 18 energy providers – 31 unsecured loan and 5 secured loan providers – 62 mortgage lenders and 28 credit card providers – 67 savings providers and 37 current account providers. – Over 1,750,000 mobile phone deals

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Owned by Italian giant Sofidel, Intertissue is based on Baglan Energy Park and employs 300 workers.

In the year to 31 December 2011, Intertissue posted turnover of £126.7m, up from £99.9m in 2010, and more than double the £50m sales it reported in 2007.

In a report filed at Companies House, the company, which makes and sells soft tissue products, said it had continued a trend of increasing the size of its private label and branded business by 25 per cent.

It also enlarged its customer portfolio with development of tissue brands Regina and Nicky, including the launch of new products and pack sizes, which Intertissue said enlarged its penetration into the market.

The Nicky brand is stocked in “all the major independent stores”, popularity that Intertissue put down to quality and pricing of the product.

Sales of Regina also increased during the year as a result of the “vigorous” sales strategy employed by the Intertissue team.

Pre-tax profit for the year was reported at £15.3m, up from £13.2m in 2010.

Following the success of their Children’s Easter Design Competition, Dorset based supplier of personalised hampers http://www.yourhamper.com/ and gifts, Yourhamper.com, are pleased to announce the winner of the competition as Leila Clarke, aged 6, from Colden Common Primary School in Hampshire.

Yourhamper.com, the latest brand from market-leading hamper supplier Virginia Hayward Ltd, invited young people aged 13 or under to create a design for Easter which the company would use on the lids and tags of their personalised hampers. The winning design will be featured on the company’s website and Facebook page. Leila, as the designer of the winning entry, has also received a hamper full of Easter treats, in addition to a donation of £100 for her school.

Competition organiser Chris Lake said, “We were really pleased with the quality of the entries that we received, and it was obvious that a lot of care and attention to detail had gone into each entry; we were just sorry that we could only pick one winner!

“In reality, there has been more than one winner, as our donation of £100 to Leila’s school will help to fund new activities and clubs, so that lots of young people will be able to benefit from her hard work.”

Grateful Leila even took the time to send the company a heartfelt letter of thanks – enclosing a picture of herself beside her gift hamper prize. Chris Lake said of the gesture:

“We couldn’t have been more thrilled when we received Leila’s thank you letter and photograph of her with the prize hamper. It’s always nice to give a prize but when it’s so charmingly accepted, it makes it just a little more special.”

The winning design is available to see on the company’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/yourhamper. Personalised hampers are available from the company’s website, http://www.yourhamper.com/.

Media Contact Alex Walker Tel: +44(0)174-7850-700 Email: alex.walker@virginiahayward.com

Oil 4 Wales, which supplies 11,500 customers in Wales, was founded by entrepreneur Colin Owens. He previously set up Owen Fuels before selling the business to Texaco.

“When we established Oil 4 Wales last year, we did so with the aim of creating a Welsh oil brand,” said Owens.

“We are now well on our way to making our vision a reality and are pleased to see that the brand, with its emphasis on giving a good deal to the communities of Wales, is being well received.”

Owens said the business plans to open more fuel depots throughout the country to service customers and retail garages in mid and North Wales. Recent acquisitions include Central Garage in Blaina and Preseli Service Station in Llandewi Velfrey.

“While growth has been significant in the first year, we are not resting on our laurels,” said Owens. “We want to expand our range of services beyond just South Wales. We are also fully committed to helping tackle fuel poverty by being flexible with our deliveries and payment terms.”

Owens added that Oil 4 Wales is targeting a turnover of £80m in its second year of trading.