United Utilities: Profit rises significantly as water bills hiked May 15, 2025 Profit at United Utilities jumped significantly ahead of the FTSE 100 giant hiking water bills for its more than seven million customers, it has been revealed. The Warrington-headquartered firm, which serves customers in the North West of England, has also proposed an increase to its final dividend of 4.2 per cent to 34.6p. The company [...]
ITV grows digital ad sales amid Studios boost May 15, 2025 ITV has kicked off 2025 with a strong showing from its digital arm and a rebound at ITV Studios, helping it stay firmly on track with its turnaround strategy. In a trading update for the three months to 31 March, the broadcaster said digital advertising revenue rose 15 per cent year on year, outpacing the [...]
Shawbrook Bank’s loan and deposit book boosted by retail demand May 15, 2025 Shawbrook Bank received a boost to its loan book in the first-quarter driven by strong demand in commercial and retail markets. Lending increased to £15.8bn, from £15.2bn at the end of 2024. This marked a 15 per cent annual jump. The growth came as the group’s structured lending pipeline reached a new high, as it [...]
Premier Foods: Mr Kipling maker ups dividend on strong growth May 15, 2025 Revenue at Premier Foods jumped last year, driven by growth in branded goods and international sales. The Mr Kipling owner told markets this morning that adjusted profit before tax rose 8.8 per cent to £169.3m in the year ended March 29. Profit after tax rose 11 per cent, with basic earnings per share up 10 [...]
London Cypriots to get visit from President in ‘brain gain’ push May 15, 2025 The President of Cyprus will visit Cypriot citizens based in London next week offering them generous tax incentives to return home. The relocation push – dubbed the ‘Brain Gain’ – is backed up with pledges of help with education, housing and free healthcare to lure skilled workers among Britain’s 300,000-strong diaspora back to their home [...]
Sage boosts profit and margins as AI tools drive growth May 15, 2025 Accounting software giant Sage has posted a strong set of half year results, powered by rising demand for cloud services and adoption of its AI tools. The firm’s operating profit went up 16 per cent to £288m, whilst revenue saw a nine per cent uptick to £1.24bn, Sage told the market on Thursday. Sage said [...]
National Grid profit jumps by a fifth despite record investment May 15, 2025 National Grid’s annual profits rose by a fifth as it lauded stable growth against a backdrop of “international economic uncertainty.” On an underlying basis, pre-tax profit increased 20 per cent to £3.7bn over the 12 months ended 31 March. Earnings per share rose two per cent to 73.3p, ahead of previous guidance. National Grid announced [...]
Secure Trust bolsters lending as it ‘monitors’ global turbulence May 15, 2025 Specialist lender Secure Trust Bank delivered an upbeat first-quarter trading statement on Thursday with growth across lending and deposits. The London-listed lender posted a 3.2 per cent quarterly increase in its net lending to £3.7bn. This was up 10.5 per cent from the first quarter of 2024. The firm said its business finance and consumer [...]
Watches of Switzerland: US sales drive return to growth May 15, 2025 Rolex and Patek Philppe-seller Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) has returned to growth, driven by a double-digit sales rise in the US. The luxury watch seller told markets this morning that full year Group revenue reached £1.6bn in the year ended April 27, up eight per cent year on year and in line with market [...]
Aviva: Direct Line buyout ‘firmly on track’ despite CMA investigation May 15, 2025 Aviva expects its £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line to be completed by the middle of this year despite a new investigation by the competition watchdog into the deal. In a trading update, the insurance giant’s CEO, Amanda Blanc, said the acquisition was “firmly on track,” and cash to pay for the takeover had been ring-fenced. Yesterday, the Competition [...]