Adidas shares plunge after hike in World Cup marketing spend July 30, 2026 Adidas shares sank this morning after the sportswear behemoth missed quarterly profit expectations amid a hike in World Cup marketing spend. Shares in the German firm opened more than 15 per cent down after missing second quarter profit expectations. The dent came despite revenues rising 14 per cent to £5.7bn but the firm maintained its [...]
Watchdog probes KPMG over Wood Group audit July 30, 2026 The audit watchdog has opened an investigation into Big Four giant KPMG and two accountants over the accounts belonging to engineering and consulting firm John Wood Group. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) revealed on Thursday that it officially launched two separate regulatory investigations concerning the financial reporting and statutory auditing of the former London-listed group. [...]
Miliband refused to meet motor trade body to discuss zero emissions mandate July 30, 2026 Ed Miliband refused to meet the UK motor industry’s largest trade body during his two-year stint as energy secretary, despite the government’s controversial targets for electric vehicle sales falling partly under his department’s purview. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) boss Mike Hawes said his lobby group’s requests to meet the Labour heavyweight and [...]
BAE Systems raises guidance yet Burnham wavers on defence July 30, 2026 BAE Systems raised its guidance after a series of contract wins yet optimism over spending top-ups may have faded after Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to commit to lifting expenditure. The aerospace and arms company said profit for the first half of the year amounted to more than £1bn while sales also improved on the [...]
Shell launches bumper buyback after earnings more than double on Middle East turmoil July 30, 2026 Shell has said it will continue its bumper share buyback programme after revealing the Iran war’s effect on oil prices and trading volumes helped it book near-record profit. The Anglo-Dutch giant’s net profit spiked to $9.8bn between April and July, more than double the same period last year and beating analyst estimates. Shares were up [...]
Hammerson boss mad for Manchester as firm snaps up Arndale shopping centre July 30, 2026 Hammerson has snapped up a stake in one of the UK’s biggest shopping centres as the retail real estate firm expands its UK footprint. The FTSE 250 property company has paid £218m to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the Manchester Arndale shopping centre, marking the company’s first major external acquisition in over a [...]
Rentokil shares slide almost 20 per cent as demand weakens in North America July 30, 2026 Pest control giant Rentokil’s share price slid 17 per cent on Thursday morning following a slow appetite from the North American residential market. The FTSE 100 firm’s shares tumbled on market open from 443.30p to 398.60p, despite reporting a 6.7 per cent rise in group revenue for the first six months of the year to [...]
Schroders profits surge as assets hit record £868bn July 30, 2026 Schroders said its profit nearly doubled in the first half of the year as assets under management hit a record high of £868bn. The FTSE 100 money manager, which is in the process of being acquired by US funds group Nuveen, said assets under management (AUM) jumped 12 per cent to £867.8bn, up from £776.6bn [...]
Rolls-Royce share jump as profit beats expectations July 30, 2026 Rolls-Royce shares jumped on Thursday after the company hiked its targets and posted a near 50 per cent jump in operating profits in the first half of the year, as it reaps the rewards of a boom in defence spending. The FTSE 100 engineering firm said rising profitability across all of its divisions resulted in [...]
Foxtons hits out at Renters’ Rights Act as profit halves July 30, 2026 Foxtons’ profit slipped as the London estate agency hits out at the Renters’ Rights Act, blaming the new tenant powers for causing a surge in renters cancelling their tenancies. The London-listed firm said the new law meant a higher number of tenants cancelled their rental agreements in May and June, meaning the estate agency lost [...]