FTSE bosses braced for wave of takeovers as foreign firms hunt for bargains February 27, 2023 Bosses at the UK’s top firms are braced for a wave of takeovers this year as foreign buyers continue to swoop on cheap London-listed companies amid a rebound in dealmaking, new research has found. Nearly ninety per cent of FTSE 250 directors said they believed UK firms were vulnerable to foreign takeovers this year, with [...]
Bunzl snaps up German and Canadian firms as profits jump to £634m February 27, 2023 Outsourcing specialist Bunzl revealed it had snapped up two businesses in Germany and Canada today as it reported a jump in pre-tax profits for the full year. The London-listed firm said this morning it had acquired acquire Arbeitsschutz-Express, a German online workwear and PPE seller in Germany, as well as Capital Paper, a distributor of [...]
Top Home REIT shareholder Liontrust slams ‘serious shortcomings’ as it mulls next move February 26, 2023 Top Home REIT investor Liontrust has slammed “serious shortcomings” at the beleaguered social housing firm and said it is mulling “propositions” with other major shareholders to try and steady the ship.
Warren Buffett turns record profit – despite lashings of global headwinds February 25, 2023 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Saturday reported its highest-ever annual operating profit, even as foreign currency losses and lower gains from investments caused fourth-quarter profit to fall. Buffett called 2022 a “good year” for Berkshire in his annual shareholder letter after the conglomerate’s dozens of businesses generated $30.8 billion of profit despite rising inflation and [...]
Priti Patel calls on Jeremy Hunt to stop planned corporation tax rise February 25, 2023 Former home secretary Priti Patel has urged the Chancellor to use his Budget next month to halt the planned corporation tax rise. The senior Conservative has argued that “now is not the time” for an increase in the tax on big business. In plans agreed while she served in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, corporation tax is [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown chief on spats with the founder, his time at the top and the power of retail investors February 23, 2023 At times of turbulence, retail investors are entirely rational creatures. At least, that’s the view of Chris Hill, the outgoing boss of Britain’s largest retail investment and savings platform, Hargreaves Lansdown. Hill – who has been at the helm of the retail giant since 2016 and is preparing to step down in November – was [...]
Isa explainer: should you go for cash or stocks & shares? February 23, 2023 Savers have just over four weeks to make the most of this year’s tax-free savings allowance. We look at the different types of ISA available and how to find the one that’s right for you. Individual Savings Accounts, or Isas, were introduced by the government to encourage more people to save and allow savers to [...]
Top UK investment body slams FCA for moving too fast on greenwashing rules February 22, 2023 A top investment body has slammed the UK’s financial services regulator for moving too fast on environmental, social and governance (ESG) rules today, claiming it risked “dislocating” a major section of the sector. Officials at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced plans in October to clampdown on the labelling of ESG financial products in a [...]
FTX collapse: UK investors report losses of nearly £2m to police February 22, 2023 The amount of recorded cash lost by UK investors in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX swelled to nearly £2m this month as burnt traders turn to the police in the hope of recovering their money, a freedom of information request reveals.
UK will become ‘innovation wasteland’ if Hunt pushes through R&D tax relief cuts, FSB warns February 22, 2023 The UK will become an “innovation wasteland” if the government pushes ahead with plans to slash research and development (R&D) tax relief, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. The UK’s largest business group urged ministers today to reverse plans to gut the R&D tax relief scheme, announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in November, [...]