CMA drops concerns over Microsoft takeover of Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard… for now March 24, 2023 The UK competition watchdog has provisionally dropped concerns that Microsoft’s proposed takeover of Call Of Duty developer Activision Blizzard would damage the UK console gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last month warned the 68.7 billion dollar (£56.7 billion) deal could result in higher prices, fewer choices or less innovation for UK gamers. [...]
Dating, DIY and Netflix: Brits stop spending on love and luxury due to cost of living crisis, Nationwide says March 24, 2023 The value of households’ spending on subscription services, home improvements and dating fell annually in February, according to analysis by Britain’s biggest building society of its members’ outgoings. The volume of dating transactions fell by a third (33 per cent ) in February 2023 compared with the same month in 2022, also falling by 7 [...]
Succession star Brian Cox opened financial markets at London Stock Exchange March 24, 2023 Succession star Brian Cox swapped TV for LSE this morning, as the actor behind Logan Roy opened the London Stock Exchange. Ahead of the much-vaunted fourth and final season of the show on 27 March, the Scottish actor opened financial markets accompanied by a musical quartet playing the series’ iconic theme tune. Speaking after opening [...]
New laws introduced to boost ship workers’ pay in bid to close P&O Ferries loophole March 24, 2023 In wake of the P&O Ferries scandal, new laws have been introduced to ensure seafarers with close links to Britain are paid the national minimum wage. The move has been taken in a bid to improve working conditions on ships after P&O Ferries decision to fire 800 of its staff last year. Shipowners will now [...]
Exclusive: Home REIT investors draw up plans for ‘landlord of last resort’ as tenants collapse March 24, 2023 Investors in beleaguered social housing investor Home REIT are drawing up plans for a ‘landlord of last resort’ as the firm’s cash dries up and its tenant base collapses, City A.M. has learned.
What will it take for business leaders to understand the true value of cybersecurity? March 24, 2023 Business decision makers (BDMs) and IT leaders have rarely seen eye to eye. Back in 2020, an analyst report revealed that 69% of execs perceived cybersecurity to be an entirely or mostly technology area. Yet this attitude is increasingly unsustainable in a world where businesses must fight for every last contract and every last staff [...]
Cloud migration: mitigating misconceptions and genuine security risk March 24, 2023 | Sponsored Sometimes it seems like the whole world is migrating their critical data and applications to the cloud. The latest Gartner forecast estimates spending globally on public cloud services will hit $592bn by the end of 2023 – a near 21% year-on-year rise. Yet security is a persistent concern. Research reveals that it is a barrier [...]
Tui: Share price crashes 9.4 per cent over travel giant’s plan to raise £1.6bn for Covid loan repayment March 24, 2023 Shares in Tui today plummeted by more than 9.4 per cent after the travel company announced plans to raise €1.8bn (£1.6bn) to repay loans given to it by the German government during Covid-19. Tui, the world’s largest travel company, today set out plans to sell 328,910,448 new shares, at a 29.85 per cent discount of [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index falls as investors react to mixed retail figures, JD Wetherspoon and Tui March 24, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index closed 1.31 per cent lower today as investors failed to be enthused by data showing the UK’s economy is faring better than expected following the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) decision to hike interest for the eleventh time in a row. The capital’s premier index fell 1.05 per cent to 7,424.71 points [...]
Sharp increase in retail sales amid ‘subdued’ outlook due to inflation – but is there a ‘chink of light’ with Easter holidays? March 24, 2023 British retail sales grew sharply last month compared to pre-pandemic levels, but price increases continue to deliver a “subdued” longer-term outlook. Sales volumes are thought to have increased by 1.2 per cent in February after a rise of 0.9 per cent in January, suggesting the industry is recovering from the pandemic well. Industry figures are [...]