Business week in review

In profit...

Viscount Rothermere strengthened his grip on the Daily Mail & General Trust on Monday when he bought a 29.3 per cent voting share stake held by family members. The £50m deal means that the publisher's chairman owns nearly 90 per cent of the business.

Angus Loughran might have been a figure of fun on Fantasy Football League, but he is the one laughing now. "Statto" was one of fewer than 100 shareholders in Opta who benefited from the £47m sale of the sports data firm on Wednesday.

Ted Burke, head of the Freshfields law firm, announced on Friday that turnover was up 7.2 per cent to £1.22bn last year.

...at a loss

Victoria Barnsley, long-serving boss of HarperCollins' British arm, departed on Tuesday as parent News Corporation moved much of the UK's responsibilities to New York. She was said to be tearful as she broke the news to shocked staff, but Barnsley said more formally that she was leaving "at the right moment".

Richard Ward confirmed his resignation as chief executive at the Lloyd's of London insurance market on Wednesday, ending months of speculation over the 56-year-old's future. He will step down in December.

Jerome Kerviel, the trader who ran up losses of €4.9bn (£4.2bn) at Société Général, lost his appeal to overturn his conviction on Thursday.