Goldman Sachs hires former MI6 chief as paid adviser August 11, 2021 Goldman Sachs has reportedly hired the former head of MI6 Sir Alex Younger as a paid adviser. Younger has been hired to provide expert advice on geopolitics, international risk and cyber. He headed the UK Secret Intelligence Service between 2014 and 2020, making him the longest serving chief of MI6 in half a decade. Younger [...]
Investor confidence in UK real estate edges up after Freedom Day as outflows decrease August 11, 2021 In the wake of the UK’s “Freedom Day” easing of Covid restrictions, investor optimism for real estate funds gained ground in July, reflected in significantly decreased outflows compared with previous months. Investors pulled £94m from UK property funds in July – which, although still a considerable outflow, was a marked improvement on the £249m outflows [...]
Chinese car sales fall for third month in a row August 11, 2021 Chinese car sales declined for a third straight month in July, new data today showed, as the global shortage of semiconductors weighed on the world’s biggest auto market. Figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed that sales fell 11.9 per cent to 1.86m, compared to the same month a year ago. The trade [...]
US casino operator Bally’s £2bn takeover of Gamesys inches closer August 11, 2021 The co-founder of British betting firm Gamesys has agreed to sell his shares in exchange for those of Bally’s, according to an announcement today, as the £2bn merger moves toward completion. In March Bally’s agreed in principle to buy UK firm Gamesys for $2.7bn (£2bn). Bally’s said it would pay 1,850 pence per share in [...]
Admiral posts strong half-year results as pre-tax profit jumps 76 per cent August 11, 2021 Admiral has posted strong half-year results for the period up to the 30 June 2021 as their decision to adjust pricing on pandemic-related claims looks to have paid off. The insurance company saw its pre-tax profit jump by 76 per cent, from £274.4m this time last year to £482.2m for the six months to 30 [...]
Coinbase takes record $1.9bn in transaction revenue in Q2 August 11, 2021 Coinbase, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, took a record $1.9bn (£1.4bn) in transaction revenue in Q2 of 2021. Trading volume increased by 1,550 per cent hitting $462bn, up from $28bn in Q2 of 2020. Net revenue for Q2 and adjusted EBITDA also increased tenfold, reaching $1.6bn and $1.1bn respectively. Bumper transaction [...]
Fashion retailer The Very Group refinances debt after raising £575m bond August 11, 2021 Online fashion retailer The Very Group has raised a £575m bond that will expire in 2026 to refinance its debt. The bond was raised through the issuing of senior secured notes due in 2026 and will be used to refinance and extend the group’s existing debt. The 6.5 per cent notes were rated “B3 stable” [...]
Gem Diamonds revenue drops slightly as forecast remains on track August 11, 2021 Gem Diamonds reported a 10 per cent fall in revenue for the first half of 2021 due to lower diamond prices and volumes. The firm made $104m (£75m) in revenue from its sale of rough diamonds, down from $115.1m (£83m). The diamond miner, who owns Letšeng mine in Lesotho, recovered 58,831 carats, a slight increase [...]
Provident losses widen as doorstop unit winds-down August 11, 2021 Lender Provident Financial reported swelling losses today as costs ballooned for the wind-down of its doorstep lending unit.. Provident said statutory pretax loss totalled £44.2m in the six months ending 30 June, compared to £28.1m the previous year. Away from its consumer credit division (CCD) however Provident saw adjusted profit jump a hefty from £4.9m [...]
Goodwin see positive final results despite the placement of large capital projects slowing August 11, 2021 Goodwin PLC has posted strong final year results as the impact of the pandemic on the firm appears to have been abated. The pre-tax profit for the engineering company saw an increase from £12.1m to £16.5m for the year up to the 30 April 2021. That was despite a slow down in capital building projects, [...]