Marks and Spencer Group Plc

Marks & Spencer, Direct Line and Micro Focus will be relegated from London's FTSE 100 index from Sept. 23 following the latest quarterly review, the index operator FTSE Russell said on Wednesday.

Marks & Spencer, Direct Line and Micro Focus will be relegated from London's FTSE 100 index from Sept. 23 following the latest quarterly review, the index operator FTSE Russell said on Wednesday.

Marks & Spencer <MKS.L> chairman Archie Norman has said he is unperturbed by the British retailer's share price slide, with his focus on the long term, but relegation from the prestigious FTSE 100 index is a symbol of its decline.

Marks & Spencer will be relegated from London's FTSE 100 index for the first time since the inception of the blue-chip index in 1984, according to Reuters calculations based on Tuesday's closing prices.

Marks & Spencer <MKS.L> shares fell on Monday on expectations the 135-year old retailer will be relegated from London's FTSE 100 <.FTSE> index blue-chip stock market for the first time and a "sell" rating from Goldman Sachs.

* M&S slips on FTSE 100 relegation worries (Adds news item, analyst comment, updates to closing prices)

Saudi Arabia's Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair <4240.SE> said on Wednesday its franchise agreement in the kingdom with British retailer Marks & Spencer <MKS.L> had ended, along with similar deals with a number of "non-performing" brands.

Saudi Arabian retailer Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. has pulled out of its franchise partnership with British store group Marks & Spencer and has ended similar agreements with a number of "non-performing" brands, it said on Wednesday.

London's main index shed 1% in early deals and joined a global market selloff on Monday, as U.S.-China trade tensions sent investors rushing to safe haven assets, while Ocado and M&S slipped after setting up an online food joint venture.

The chief executive of Marks & Spencer <MKS.L> is to assume direct leadership of the British retailer's troubled clothing business after sacking the division's boss just two days after publicly criticizing chronic product availability.

Marks and Spencer said its managing director of clothing and home Jill McDonald would leave the company nearly two years after taking the role, with CEO Steve Rowe taking over leadership of those businesses directly in the near term.

British retailer Marks & Spencer's clothing division chief may be on the verge of leaving the company after less than two years in the job, Sky News reported on Thursday.

British retailer Marks & Spencer <MKS.L> is targeting a doubling of its 6 billion pound ($7.5 billion) food business, driven by its new joint venture with online supermarket Ocado <OCDO.L>, chairman Archie Norman said on Tuesday.

British retailer Marks & Spencer is targeting a doubling of its 6 billion pound ($7.5 billion) food business, driven by its new joint venture with online supermarket Ocado, its chairman said on Tuesday.

Superdry <SDRY.L> has appointed former finance heads of M&S <MKS.L> and New Look to its board, months after the UK fashion retailer's founder Julian Dunkerton rejoined after a bruising boardroom battle that saw most of its directors leave.

** Shares of British clothing and food retailer were down as much as 2.1% at 206.1 pence

** Investment platform AJ Bell says JD Sports Fashion and AVEVA could enter London's bluechip index in June reshuffle

** Investment platform AJ Bell says JD Sports Fashion and AVEVA could enter London's bluechip index in June reshuffle

British retailer Marks & Spencer's pension scheme has transferred a total of 1.4 billion pounds ($1.77 billion) in liabilities to two insurance groups Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) and Phoenix, the insurers said on Thursday.