Vinci completes takeover of majority stake in Gatwick after £2.9bn deal May 14, 2019 French group Vinci Airports has completed its takeover of a majority stake in London’s Gatwick, it said this morning, making it the world’s second largest airport operator. The £2.9bn deal, which was announced in December, gives Vinci a 50.01 per cent stake in an airport used by 46m passengers every year. Read more: Gatwick sold [...]
World could face energy shortage as investment lags demand says global energy agency May 14, 2019 The world is “storing up” future risks as investment in both fossil fuels and renewables may not meet global increases in energy demand, the head of the International Energy Agency has warned. More than $1.8 trillion was invested in global energy projects in 2018, broadly flat on the year before, the IEA said today. Read [...]
Folding bike firm Brompton searches for new chairman ahead of expansion May 13, 2019 Folding bike company Brompton is searching for a replacement for its chairman as it aims to double in size over the next five years. The company has appointed headhunters to find a successor to its long-serving chairman Tim Guinness, Sky News reported. Read more: Alibaba-backed Ofo pulls bikes out of London boroughs The British bike [...]
TfL did not see controversial Garden Bridge construction contract, boss reveals May 13, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) did not see the contract that the Garden Bridge Trust signed with a construction company for its proposed crossing over the Thames, which was later scrapped to the tune of £53.5m. The Garden Bridge project, which was backed by former mayor Boris Johnson and whose trustees included Joanna Lumley and former Labour minister [...]
Honda confirms 2021 Swindon factory closure ‘with a heavy heart’, cutting 3,500 jobs May 13, 2019 Japanese car manufacturer Honda has confirmed plans to close its Swindon factory in 2021, meaning 3,500 employees now face redundancy. The company said that after talks with the government and trade unions, it had decided there were “no viable alternatives” to closing the plant, which currently builds the Civic model. Read more: Honda to close [...]
British Gas owner Centrica’s shareholders say yes to chief executive’s £740,000 pay rise in ‘challenging’ conditions May 13, 2019 Shareholders expecting their dividends to be slashed this year clubbed through a 44 per cent pay rise for Centrica’s chief executive today despite company’s disappointing performance. Conn has overseen a two-thirds drop in share prices, to a 20-year low, since stepping into the role while the British Gas owner is haemorrhaging customers to other suppliers. [...]
Uber IPO: Shares slide again on second day of New York trading May 13, 2019 Shares in Uber dropped as much as 10 per cent this afternoon on its second day of trading following a disappointing $82.4bn (£63.2bn) stock market debut on Friday. The ride-hailing giant’s stock fell to $37.22, dropping more than 17 per cent below its initial public offering (IPO) price of $45 per share. Read more: Uber braced [...]
Chinese car sales fall for 10th straight month as US trade war picks up again May 13, 2019 Car sales in China, the biggest automotive market in the world, fell for the 10th consecutive month in April. Sales fell to 1.98m vehicles in April, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Caam), marking a 14.6 per cent year on year decline. Read more: Car sales fall as removal of subsidies and Brexit [...]
Energy price cap hits Eon’s UK business hard as sales fall six per cent May 13, 2019 The government’s energy price cap put a dampener on Eon’s revenues in the first three months of the year, it revealed this morning. The figures UK sales decreased by six per cent to €153m (£132m), the company said, adding it had been hit by a triple-whammy including lower energy prices and reduced sales volumes. Read [...]
British Gas owner Centrica ‘may slash dividend’ after challenging start to the year May 13, 2019 Analysts warned that a dividend cut is on the horizon at British Gas owner Centrica after several external factors hit performance in the opening months of 2019. Centrica said that the government’s new energy price cap had dented its figures, including a one-off £70m impact in the first quarter. Read more: British Gas owner Centrica [...]