What the Sunday papers said
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times "How I made it" weekly feature describes quick decision-making as the key to Hugh Osmond's success, with no better example than last week's floatation of Punch. Mr Osmond said: "I'm dissappointed that its true value was not recognised but the shares will gain value over time." The Punch founder intends to target other sectors that are performing badly.
Philip Morris has asked for two board seats as part of its $5bn (£3.4bn) disposal of Miller Brewing to South African Breweries. SAB will finance the deal through a cash and shares mix. Philip Morris,the world's largest tobacco company will own betewen 25 and 33 per cent of the brewer.
Sir Alan Walters, the man who warned Margaret Thatcher against entering Europe's exchange rate mechanism - and predicted that the ERM itself was heading for crisis - now says the euro will break up within five years. Mr Walters was the Iron Lady's personal economic advisor in both the early 1980s and at the end of the decade.
The Mail on Sunday
The MoS "Midas" sharewatch column says Punch, which went cap-in-hand with a cut-price offer to get its float away, must now bring home the goods. The growth startegy, based on improving existing pubs and buying new ones, has to deliver. Unfortunately there is no real evidence to suggest that beyond a certain scale, big pub groups deliver bigger returns to investors.
Brewing and pubs group Wolverhampton & Dudley is expected to announce fresh plans this week to buy back a tranche of shares. The plan will be announced tomorrow alongside half-year results that are expected to show profits of about £31m.
The Sunday Express
David Stevenson, fund manager of Scottish Value Management's UK Growth Fund, has his biggest holding in Wolverhampton & Dudley. When stock picking, he looks for companies with strong growth stories to tell. Wolves has called time on many of its activities and restructured the business, a move that will see a strong recovery.
The Business
Publicly-quoted restaurant operator Ask Central is earmarked as a grwoth stock. The £179m group has the potential to more than double the size of its 130-stron pizza and pasta restaurant estate. Investors should set a target price of 219p. The shares currently trade at 191p.
The Sunday Telegraph
Gordon Brown's office has dismissed fears that Britain is on the brink of a recession and has predicted a surge of economic growth this summer and autumn.
A consortium led by property company Quintain Estates has bought the Millennium Dome for nothing. It will develop sports and leisure facilities and some 5,000 homes on the surrounding site. The government will take a share of future profits generated on the land.
