Ann Summers remains in the red as sales stall and jobs shed December 9, 2025 Ann Summers’ sales have stalled as it shed jobs and remained in the red during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The business has posted a turnover of £93.4m for the 12 months to 28 June, 2025, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after Ann Summers also reported [...]
Laurent-Perrier: King’s champagne supplier blames private school VAT for sliding sales December 9, 2025 Labour’s introduction of VAT on private school fees contributed to profit at Laurent-Perrier, which supplies King Charles III with champagne, being significantly cut during its latest financial year. The division of the French giant has said its sales were impacted not only by the Labour government extending VAT to school fees but also higher interest [...]
Government puts anti-corruption spotlight on ‘corrupt lawyers, bankers, and accountants’ December 9, 2025 The UK government launched a new anti-corruption strategy targeting “professional enablers”, such as “corrupt lawyers, accountants and bankers” who help dirty money flow. It is estimated that over £100bn is laundered through the UK every year by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The corruption has also affected British businesses, which have faced 117,000 bribe offers [...]
New British Cycling firm seeking equity and investment partners December 9, 2025 Key Hundred team adviser Oakwell Sports Advisory has been engaged by British Cycling as a new firm actively seeks “strategic equity and investment partners”. British Cycling Ventures has been formed to “supercharge commercial growth and target long term strategic investment” in the two-wheeled sport. Oakwell, who advised on The Sun Group’s acquisition of Hundred team [...]
Budget chaos takes toll on October growth as ‘prospects remain poor’ December 9, 2025 The UK economy is expected to have grown by just 0.1 per cent in October as firms grappled with Budget speculation and uncertainty, analysts have said. A Bloomberg poll of City economists predicted the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will pencil in next to no growth for the month. The expected slowdown is set to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Fed interest rates, retail sales, GDP December 9, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog covering the FTSE 100 and other big market moves. Investors are bracing for a crunch decision at the Federal Reserve this Wednesday, with markets pricing in a 25 basis point cut to bring interest rates down to 3.5-3.75 per cent. Forecasters will be taking a [...]
Planning your personal finances in 2026 and beyond December 9, 2025 Partner content, in association with JP Morgan Personal Investing. By Claire Exley, head of financial advice and guidance at J.P. Morgan Personal Investing In the run-up, the 2025 Budget was probably one of the most talked about in recent years. The telltale sign is when friends who don’t usually show much interest are suddenly asking [...]
Active, passive, or robot? Choosing your ISA management style December 9, 2025 Deciding to open a Stocks and Shares ISA is only the first step. The more critical decision—and the one that will determine your fees, stress levels, and potential returns—is how that money is managed. There are several distinct management styles, ranging from AI-driven algorithms to traditional human expertise. Understanding the difference between robo, self-managed, discretionary, [...]
Former Entain execs take Gambling Commission to court over failed 888 bid December 9, 2025 The former CEO and chairman of Entain, the group behind Coral and Ladbrokes, are set to face the Gambling Commission at court on Tuesday over alleged misuse of private information. Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman filed a civil case against the UK’s gambling regulator in October 2024. This action follows their failed 2023 leadership bid [...]
Black Friday boost fails to materialise for Britain’s high streets December 9, 2025 UK retail sales failed to meet shops’ expectations this Black Friday as pre-budget jitters dampened spending. Retail sales increased by 1.4 per cent year on year in November, against a decline of 3.3 per cent in November 2024 and below the 12-month average growth of 2.5 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). [...]