Can the UK economy rebound after Brexit? February 5, 2020 | City Talk Can the UK economy turn a corner? The economy has been on the verge of recession recently. Whether it improves as Brexit uncertainty lifts largely depends on the UK government’s approach to negotiations with the EU and the progress it makes. If it can avoid headlines about looming tariffs, then business confidence and investment can [...]
Imperial Brands issues profit warning amid vaping crackdown February 5, 2020 UK tobacco giant Imperial Brands has warned that its first half earnings per share and full-year profit are likely to fall amid a global crackdown on e-cigarettes. Shares tumbled 9.5 per cent following today’s announcement, hitting 1,768p. In a trading statement, Imperial said the US’s ban on certain flavours of vapour devices or vapes, which [...]
Greenpeace blocks BP’s London headquarters on Bernard Looney’s first day February 5, 2020 Bernard Looney’s first day as BP boss got off to a challenging start this morning as the firm was forced to shut its headquarters after Greenpeace activists blocked the doors to the oil giant’s London office in St James’ Square. A hundred Greenpeace activists delivered 500 solar panels with a total area of over 800 [...]
Lookers makes changes at the top after ‘challenging’ 2019 February 5, 2020 Car dealership chain Lookers today announced a raft of changes to its senior leadership, with Mark Raban and Cameron Wade announced as the firm’s chief executive and chief operating officer. In November Andy Bruce and Nigel McMinn stepped down from Lookers’ board after the firm issued a profit warning. Raban moves into the top job [...]
CMA opens probe into Flutter’s £10bn Stars Group betting merger February 5, 2020 The UK’s competition watchdog is set to open an investigation into a planned £10bn gambling merger between Flutter and the Stars Group. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will probe whether the tie-up between Paddy power and Betfair owner Flutter and Toronto-based Stars will hurt competition. The CMA is considering whether it is or may [...]
US executive to leave Softbank’s $100bn Vision Fund February 5, 2020 A top US executive is leaving Softbank’s $100bn Vision Fund after expressing concerns about “issues” at the Japanese investment giant, which has been hit by a series of setbacks over the past few months. Michael Ronen, a former banker at Goldman Sachs who joined Softbank in 2017, told the Financial Times he was leaving and [...]
Housebuilder Barratt’s half-year profit boosted by strong sales February 5, 2020 Barratt Developments has reported a rise in pre-tax profit for the first-half as the UK’s biggest housebuilder sold more homes at lower prices. Barratt, which sold its highest number of homes in 12 years in the six months to 31 December, said this morning that profit before tax rose 3.7 per cent to £423m. “We [...]
Vodafone will spend €200m to rip Huawei from core networks February 5, 2020 Vodafone said the government’s decision to leave Huawei out of the core of the UK’s 5G network would cost the operator €200m (£169m) as it revealed third quarter results today. The mobile operator welcomed Boris Johnson’s “facts-based” decision to keep Huawei at arm’s length and vowed to remove it from its own core. Chief executive [...]
Danske Bank warns profit could almost halve amid fallout from money-laundering scandal February 5, 2020 Danske Bank warned this morning that its profit could almost halve this year as continued fallout from a €200bn money-laundering scandal and negative interest rates weigh on the Danish lender. The bank’s 2019 net profit was flat at 15.1 billion Danish crowns (£1.7bn), but Danske forecast that the total would fall to eight to 10 [...]
Babcock chief steps down after four years in top job February 5, 2020 Babcock, the UK-based defence infrastructure company, today announced that its chief executive Archie Bethel will retire after four years in the top job. Bethel joined the FTSE 250 firm in 2004 and held a variety of posts, such as head of its maritime and technology division, before becoming the group’s chief in 2016. While at [...]