Barratt: ‘Uncertainty’ pushes housebuilder’s sales reservations down 44 per cent but pre-tax profit rockets to £521m February 8, 2023 Barratt Developments posted profit before tax of more than £520m as the company suggested that its outlook for the year was improving, despite sales at the beginning of 2023 lagging behind last year. The housebuilder’s revenue increased 24 per cent in the six months to December 31 from the same period last year while its [...]
More than £18bn was added to non-food retail sales by inflation as 80 per cent of retailers prepare to raise prices February 8, 2023 Inflation is set to add £18.2 billion to UK non-food retail sales this year, a report suggests. Sales values are expected to hit £249 billion in 2023, but the 2.6 per cent increase – or an additional £18.2 billion of spending on last year – will be driven entirely by rising consumer prices, according to [...]
Legal & General CEO would like to see UK ‘move more quickly’ on Solvency II reforms February 8, 2023 Insurance giant Legal & General would like to see the UK “move more quickly” in reforming the EU rules that govern Britain’s insurance sector, the head of the FTSE 100 firm’s pensions buyout segment told City A.M. Andrew Kail, chief executive of L&G’s institutional retirement business, called for “clarity” on the UK’s plans to reshape [...]
UK to narrowly avoid recession but cost of living crisis will leave families £4,000 worse off February 8, 2023 The UK is poised to narrowly avoid a recession but the cost of living crisis will still leave average Brits £4,000 worse off this year, fresh forecasts out today reveal. Britain’s economy is set to squeeze out 0.2 per cent of GDP growth in 2023, meaning it will just about swerve a technical reversal, two [...]
Businesses trim hiring ahead of possible UK recession but experts cheer swelling vacancies February 8, 2023 Businesses are reining in hiring ahead of an economic slowdown that could tip the UK into recession, a closely watched survey out today shows. Permanent hires fell for the fourth month in a row last month, with KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) permanent placement index coming in below the 50 point growth [...]
100,000 civil servants to walk out on Budget Day, union says February 7, 2023 Around 100,000 civil servants are set to strike on Budget Day, their union has announced, amid a campaign of walkouts over pay disputes. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said it was escalating action after a “lack of movement” from the government over its concerns over pay, pensions and job security. Walkouts will take [...]
Digital pound needed to ‘anchor’ monetary system as Bank likely to set £20,000 limit on holdings: John Cunliffe February 7, 2023 John Cunliffe, deputy governor of the Bank of England, said a ‘digital pound’ would be needed to maintain trust in the UK’s monetary system while he set out limits for its use to preserve financial stability. Speaking at UK Finance, Cunliffe said the Bank could not ignore the possibility that the use of cash would [...]
Great British Railways confirmed: Body will take ‘politics out’ of sector, says Mark Harper February 7, 2023 Transport secretary Mark Harper has confirmed the creation of Great British Railways, saying the new public body will take “politics out of the railways”. “This is not Network Rail 2.0, nor a return to British Rail,” Harper told the sector as he delivered the annual George Bradshaw address earlier this evening. “Taking the politics out [...]
Arm revenues jump to £620m as Softbank gears up to float UK chipmaker February 7, 2023 British chipmaker Arm said revenues had surged 28 per cent in the past quarter as its parent company Softbank gears up for a much anticipated float at the end of this year. In a trading update on its third quarter trading the Cambridge-headquartered firm said revenues had topped $746m (£620) after its partner firms shipped [...]
New innovation department could be a ‘gear change’ for tech growth, industry chiefs say February 7, 2023 The creation of a new government department for technology and innovation could be a “gear change” for the growth in the UK’s tech sector and represents a “significant” boost for UK innovation, tech chiefs said today.