Chancellor pledges shift on capitalism but promises not to ‘abandon ship’ January 23, 2020 Chancellor Sajid Javid has said a new “balance” between capitalism and people is needed in the UK, but promised that the government is not “abandoning ship”. Speaking at the CBI lunch in Davos today, Javid told business leaders there was a “new chapter” opening under Boris Johnson’s majority government, which yesterday finally passed the key [...]
Brexit bill granted royal assent and signed into law January 23, 2020 The Brexit bill has been granted royal assent and has now been signed into law, paving the way for the UK’s exit from the European Union next week. Deputy speaker Nigel Evans today announced in the Commons that the bill, dubbed the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act, has been approved by the Queen after passing parliament. [...]
Coronavirus: Four patients in Scotland tested for the virus January 23, 2020 A small number of patients in Scotland are being tested for coronavirus after showing symptoms of the infection. Professor Juergen Haas, head of infection medicine at Edinburgh University, told the BBC that there were three suspected cases in Edinburgh. He said they all had respiratory symptoms and had been in the city of Wuhan in [...]
Is 2020 the year for European small cap? January 23, 2020 | Sponsored Ollie Beckett, fund manager for TR European Growth Trust, explains why he believes European smaller companies are performing well; Ollie believes this is due to renewed investor confidence as economic data points towards a stabilisation and a positive start to 2020. Ollie also discusses the latest portfolio activity and which stocks have performed exceptionally well. [...]
New London hotel drives revenue up for Park Plaza owner PPHE January 23, 2020 Park Plaza hotel operator PPHE reported a jump in revenue following the opening of a new London venue. Like-for-like group room revenue for the year grew 6.3 per cent to £249m, from £234m the previous year, while reported room revenue was up 5.9 per cent to £250m. The FTSE 250 real estate group said revenue [...]
Hua you gonna call? Why Britain’s 5G infrastructure decision has real implications January 23, 2020 Britain looks set to decide on Chinese titan Huawei’s role in 5G infrastructure next week. Political Editor Catherine Neilan looks at why it matters so much If campaigning is poetry, governing is prose – so goes one of the iron rules of politics. Tough, controversial decisions must be made, and one of Boris Johnson’s first [...]
Tiktok inks licensing deal as it gears up for music streaming launch January 23, 2020 Tiktok has secured a licensing deal with a major music rights agency, marking a key step forward in the social media firm’s plans to launch a new rival to Spotify. The Chinese video app today said it has entered into a multi-territory partnership with Merlin, which represents tens of thousands of independent record labels. The [...]
Morrisons axes 3,000 management jobs January 23, 2020 Morrisons is preparing to cut 3,000 management jobs across its supermarkets, as it adds more hourly paid roles. The retailer announced today that it will create 7,000 new hourly paid jobs across its stores, which will result in a net 4,000 new jobs. The affected managers will be able to apply for the new roles, [...]
Comcast hikes dividend as broadband boost pushes up revenue January 23, 2020 Comcast today said it had ramped up its dividend after reporting a rise in both revenue and profit in the fourth quarter. The US media titan posted revenue of $28.4bn (£21.6bn), up two per cent on the same period last year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose three per cent to $8.4bn. [...]
More than 280 jobs lost as Handmade Burger Co. collapses January 23, 2020 Casual dining chain Handmade Burger Co. collapsed into administration for the second time today, making more than 280 workers redundant. Leonard Curtis was appointed as administrator of The Burger Chain Limited this morning, after attempts to secure a sale of the business were unsuccessful. All 18 restaurants have closed, with the loss of 283 jobs, [...]