European Investment Bank backs Uber rival Bolt with €50m January 16, 2020 The European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide Bolt with €50m (£43m) financing to the help ride-hailing app develop its technologies. The financing, supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), is to boost Bolt’s product development in areas where technology can improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of its services. Read more: Bolt [...]
Pearson shares sink as print woes hurt 2020 profit target January 16, 2020 Investors sent Pearson’s share price down to its lowest level since 2008 in early trading today after the education publisher warned its painful shift to digital would drag into 2020. Pearson’s legacy print textbook business sank another 12 per cent over 2019, the firm said today as it predicted annual profit of £590m, at the [...]
Shares in Dechra Pharmaceuticals slump after slow first half January 16, 2020 Shares in Dechra Pharmaceuticals plummeted today, after it warned that full-year results would be more heavily weighted to its second half. The veterinary pharmaceuticals company published a note this morning to say its outlook for the year is in line with expectations, but that “the balance of trading will be more second half weighted than [...]
Finsbury Food shares dip on international sales slump January 16, 2020 Shares in Finsbury Food dipped this morning as the baked goods producer reported that international sales dropped in the last six months of 2019. The food manufacturer, which produces Mary Berry products, Mars cakes and Vogel bread, reported that sales in its overseas division fell 3.5 per cent in the six months to 28 December [...]
Halfords hails Christmas bike sales as it sticks to profit target January 16, 2020 Strong Christmas bike sales helped Halfords stick to full-year profit guidance of between £50m and £55m today as it unveiled figures for the festive period. Group revenue rose 4.6 per cent in the 14 weeks to 3 January while like-for-like sales climbed 1.3 per cent as the repair shop reconfirmed its operating profit target. Cycling [...]
Steadying the ship? Struggling contractor Kier Group makes ‘good progress’ on cutting costs January 16, 2020 Kier Group shares spiked this morning on the news that the struggling contractor said it was making “good progress” on cutting costs. The London-listed construction group’s stock rocketed 7.5 per cent in value in early trading, before receding to about three per cent up on yesterday’s closing price. Kier has suffered from a mounting debt [...]
Wood Group shares climb on expectation of higher annual earnings January 16, 2020 Shares in John Wood Group have risen after the oilfield services provider said it expects higher core earnings for 2019, with a strong performance from its engineering services unit offsetting slowing onshore drilling demand in the US. In an update to the stock exchange on Thursday, the firm said it expects adjusted earnings before interest, [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread sales drop in uncertain market January 16, 2020 Premier Inn owner Whitbread reported this morning that like-for-like sales fell in the third quarter as business uncertainty impacted travel plans. Shares dropped more than five per cent after the company said like-for-like sales dipped 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, dragged down by a 2.1 per cent drop in accommodation sales. Like-for-like food [...]
Primark UK store sales dip as retailer outlines expansion plans January 16, 2020 Primark’s like-for-like UK in-store sales dipped over the Christmas trading period, the budget retailer announced this morning. The high street chain’s owner Associated British Foods (ABF) said today that there was a “marginal decline” in like-for-like UK sales in the 16 weeks to 4 January. However, the impact of extra store space boosted total UK [...]
The Works CEO steps down following string of profit warnings January 16, 2020 The Works chief executive Kevin Keaney has stepped down after nine years, two months after the discount art retailer issued its second profit warning of 2019. The company’s share price jumped 11 per cent this morning after it announced that finance chief Gavin Peck will replace Keaney, as it issued an update on the Christamas [...]