Hello Fresh delivers healthy growth as it draws up recipe to break even March 6, 2019 Meal kit firm Hello Fresh today posted a surge in its full-year and fourth quarter sales as it eyes plans to break even in 2019. The figures Revenues for the full year soared 41.4 per cent to €1.2bn (£1.03bn). Losses before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation narrowed from €70.1m to €54.5m. Total number of orders [...]
Shepherd Neame’s exceptional costs take fizz out of profits March 6, 2019 Brewer and pub group Shepherd Neame posted a modest rise in profit before tax for the six months to the end of December, despite being hit by refinancing and contract losses. The figures Underlying profit before tax rose 1.4 per cent to £5.9m in the 26 weeks to 29 December 2018. Like-for-like sales in the group’s [...]
Just Eat shares fall on 2019 outlook despite jumps in profit and revenue March 6, 2019 Just Eat scored huge boosts to profit and revenue in 2018 to relieve shareholder pressure to merge with a rival, it revealed today, but warned losses will impact 2019 earnings. The figures Profit before tax rose to £101.7m after a loss of £76m in 2017. Revenue rose 43 per cent year on year to £779.5m, [...]
Financial institutions beware – big tech is moving into banking March 6, 2019 Despite Brexit uncertainties and stock market collapses, British banks concluded their 2018 earnings season with improved performance. Profitability increased thanks to cost drives, while balance sheets strengthened through derisking assets. Banks’ ability to grow revenue, however, remains a perennial challenge. The quest to growth may be harder in the digital age. In a recent report [...]
Theresa May is delusional if she thinks she can win over Labour MPs March 6, 2019 Has the Prime Minister been reading “How to win friends and influence people”, by Dale Carnegie? It would make a change from “The bluffer’s guide to negotiating”. The thought came to mind when I read of Theresa May’s latest attempt to get Labour MPs to support her withdrawal agreement in the vote next week – [...]
DEBATE: Are cuts to police numbers the main factor behind the rise in London knife crime? March 6, 2019 Are cuts to police numbers the main factor behind the rise in London knife crime? Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, says YES. There is most definitely a correlation between rising crime and falling police numbers – to say otherwise is absurd. In 2010, there were 143,734 police officers in England and Wales. There [...]
Like the myth that the Earth is flat, the socialist conspiracy theory never dies March 6, 2019 The idea that the Earth is flat is a rapidly growing trend on social media. The Flat Earth Society’s Twitter feed has the best part of 100,000 followers. The fact that the planet is a sphere has been known since at least the time of the ancient Greeks. The astronomer Eratosthenes demonstrated it with a simple [...]
Britain’s future is about more than its departure from the EU March 6, 2019 It will not come as news to readers of this newspaper that Brexit has exposed (if not exacerbated) certain rifts in British society: young versus old, metropolitan versus rural, graduates versus non-graduates. In fact, according to a poll by Opinium, 69 per cent of us feel that Britain has become more divided since the referendum. Today, [...]
Ousted Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn released on bail from Japanese prison March 6, 2019 Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has finally been released from a Japanese detention centre after paying one of the highest bail charges ever in the country of 1bn yen (£6.85m). The ousted boss has served more than three months in prison over accusations of financial misconduct, but his release will give him more time to [...]
Paddy Power Betfair moves to change name to Flutter Entertainment as US sports betting market opens up March 6, 2019 Paddy Power Betfair revealed on Wednesday it is moving to change its name to Flutter Entertainment. The decision, which is subject to approval at a shareholder meeting at an upcoming general meeting, is part of a bid to diversify as the company moves to take advantage of the opening of the US online sports betting market. [...]