Morrisons earnings preview: Grocery chain faces uphill battle amid Asda-Sainsbury’s merger May 7, 2018 Grocery chain Morrisons is set to announce its first quarter trading results on Thursday, and the company may have a lot to prove. Analysts at Barclays forecast sales growth of 1.7 per cent, below the company’s figures for the fourth quarter of 2017. If so, it would be the lowest sales growth since the end [...]
European Central Bank (ECB) says Donald Trump’s looming trade war could derail global economic recovery May 7, 2018 A significant increase in tariffs from US President Donald Trump could derail international trade, the European Central Bank (ECB) said today. In an economic bulletin released this morning, the ECB said that while the tariffs announced by Trump have only had a modest impact on the global economy, an escalation of trade tensions could have [...]
New York private equity firm Blackstone to buy Gramercy Property Trust for $7.6bn May 7, 2018 Commercial real estate manager Gramercy Property Trust has announced that the company will be acquired by investment firm Blackstone for $7.6bn (£5,6bn). The company said the transaction was approved unanimously by Gramercy’s board of trustees, and that the sale price of $27.50 per share was a 15 per cent premium on the firm’s closing stock [...]
Oreo and Cadbury owner Mondelez International acquires Tate’s Bake Shop May 7, 2018 International junk food giant Mondelez International announced an approximately $500m (£369.48m) deal to acquire Tate’s Bake Shop yesterday. Tate’s, an American cookie company famed for its thin cookies, will join the ranks of Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Trident under Mondelez’s umbrella. But the crispy cookie makers will continue as a standalone business and keep [...]
TSB mortgage accounts and some payments still not functioning properly as computer problems enter third week May 7, 2018 Computer problems at TSB have continued into their third week with customers still unable to access their mortgage accounts online. Upcoming credit card payment information is also unavailable online for some customers, leaving them in the dark if they do not have paper statements. Some payments through the mobile app and internet banking are also [...]
Russian president Vladamir Putin was inaugurated for his fourth term today amid mass protests and arrests May 7, 2018 Russian president Vladamir Putin was just sworn in at the Kremlin’s for his fourth term as the head of state. The ceremony happened in Andreevsky Hall, which acted as the throne room during Imperial Russia, and several thousand guests attended the inauguration formalities. Putin, 65, received 76.7 per cent of the votes during the March [...]
North Korea accuses US of ruining peaceful ‘atmosphere’ in region May 6, 2018 North Korea has criticised the US for using “pressure and military threats” and for its “misleading” claims that sanctions pushed Pyongyang to the negotiating table. An official at the country’s foreign ministry said that the suggestion that sanctions will not be lifted until it gives up nuclear weapons was a deliberate provocation, according to the [...]
David Beckham and Wayne Rooney lead tributes as Sir Alex Ferguson recovers after surgery for a brain haemorrhage May 6, 2018 Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery on Saturday night. The 76-year-old has undergone treatment after suffering a brain haemorrhage. The procedure has gone “very well”, according to a statement tweeted by Manchester United last night. However, he needs a “period of intensive care to aid his [...]
Amazon eyed buying Waitrose but was held off by John Lewis Partnership May 6, 2018 Amazon considered an acquisition of Waitrose last year, but was blocked from entering formal talks, reports suggest. A senior executive at the online shopping giant’s UK arm pushed for a meeting with the John Lewis Partnership but was “shut down” by the board, the Sunday Times reported today. The tech company’s acquisition of Whole Foods [...]
Oliver Holbourn, the head of UKFI which manages the government’s stake in RBS, is set to join the bank as head of strategy May 5, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is set to get a new head of strategy, as it recruits the man who has spend the last several years managing the government’s stake in the bank. Oliver Holbourn, who was formerly chief executive of UK Financial Investments (UKFI), is in talks with RBS about taking the senior role, [...]