'Disappointing quarter' Net revenue at its investment bank fell 30% on the fourth quarter in 2010, while net profit more than halved, "primarily reflecting lower market volumes".

Page 26 Next tumbles: Next's pre-tax profits nearly halved to £16.2m at the halfway stage as it revealed problems rooted in overexpansion and poor merchandising.

In just over a year the company's shed three thousand jobs and seen profits halved.

The bank also said that its quarterly profits had more than halved from the previous year, but still beat analysts' forecasts.

By 1980 profits had nearly halved to 7.1%.

Imperial Tobacco's pre-tax profits halved after the takeover of Altadis but sales rose 66pc on a larger portfolio of brands and emerging markets demand.

Operating profits almost halved anyway but the provisions turned an £83m pre-tax profit into a £2.7m loss.

Analysts reckon the company's net profit probably halved last year, to around 500 billion lire.

US banking giant Goldman Sachs cuts its pay and bonus payments by 21% to $12bn in 2011, as profits halve due to economic uncertainty.

City experts say profits could halve over the next year as the other supermarket chains eat into Gateway's market share.