Direct Line returns to profit but customers flee after firm hikes insurance prices September 4, 2024 Direct Line's operating profit undershot expectations for the first half of 2024 as the firm shed more than a quarter of a million motor insurance customers following price hikes.
Haven and Warner Hotels owner slips into the red after Butlin’s sale September 4, 2024 The group behind Haven holiday parks and Warner Leisure Hotels fell into the red after the sale of Butlin’s, it has been revealed. Bourne Leisure, which is owned by investment giant Blackstone, has reported a pre-tax loss of £166.5m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The loss comes after the group reported [...]
Gulf Marine Services posts fall in net profit as it slashes debt September 4, 2024 Gulf Marine Services (GMS) posted a hefty dent in net profit in its half-year results despite a sizeable rise in revenue, as the highly levered business continues to focus on debt reduction. The London-listed oil services provider, which operates self-propelled and elevating support vessels for the oil sector out of the United Arab Emirates, saw [...]
Columbia Threadneedle property trust bought out for £673m despite management complaints September 4, 2024 Columbia Threadneedle-run Balanced Commercial Property Trust has reached a deal to be sold for £673.5m, despite objections from its investment manager. The trust has been managed by Columbia Threadneedle since it was created in 2005, and began a strategic review this April after shareholders told it there was “need for change from the status quo”. [...]
UK investors exit domestic funds in droves after global market rout September 4, 2024 The hope of a rally in UK investment was thwarted last month as the number of UK investors selling out of domestic equity funds doubled due to the downturn in global markets. UK investors pulled £510m from British-focused equity funds in August, more than double the figure in July when outflows reached their lowest level [...]
Accsys: Building materials firm hails US launch as revenue shows signs of recovery September 4, 2024 Sustainable building materials maker Accsys has officially launched its first operation in the United States in a move it hopes will help it to deliver its “ambitious” production targets, it said today. The London-listed firm, which is headquartered in the city, said its US arm was now up and running, with its newly constructed plant [...]
Surge in ombudsman complaints deepens row over UK’s fraud refund scheme September 4, 2024 Fraud-related complaints to the UK's financial ombudsman have hit their highest level since at least early 2018, adding pressure on payment firms contesting a scheme set to force them to reimburse scam victims from next month.
Wall Street carnage continues as Nvidia leads US tech selloff September 4, 2024 A wave of panic selling hit Wall Street on Tuesday, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all suffering their steepest daily percentage declines since early August. The carnage was widespread, with nine of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 sinking into the red, led by sharp declines in technology, [...]
Hilton Foods: Profit soars at meatpacker as it looks ahead to Walmart site September 4, 2024 Hilton Foods’ seafood and core meat divisions helped bolster the meatpacker’s first-half results as the company geared up for further growth. The FTSE 250 constituent, which had struggled to deal with the rampant inflationary pressures of the last two years, posted a 23.2 per cent rise in adjusted operating profit to £46.9m on a constant [...]
CAB Payments posts slump in profit as currency shifts drag down earnings September 4, 2024 Fintech CAB Payments has reported a slump in profit for first half of 2024 as currency shifts continued to weigh on its earnings.