Auto Trader: Brits turn to older cars amid ‘economic uncertainty’ July 29, 2025 Brits are turning their backs on new cars choosing to buy more older models amid “ongoing economic uncertainty”, according to FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader. The Manchester-headquartered company said a “standout trend” of 2025 so far is the “growing appetite for affordable used cars”, particularly those aged between five and 10 years old. Auto Trader has [...]
Halfords: Departing CEO gets golden goodbye July 29, 2025 The departing chief executive of Halfords saw his pay more than double as the company clocked a statutory £30m loss in the year before he stepped down. Graham Stapleton took home a pay packet of £1.5m for the firm’s latest financial year, up from the £650,440 he received in the prior 12 months. Stapleton had [...]
Sell-out Farnborough International Airshow boosted by Airbus and Boeing deals July 29, 2025 Finances at the company behind the Farnborough International Airshow took off after the bi-annual show saw deals worth more £81bn agreed, it has been revealed. The accounts for Farnborough International, which runs the airshow as well as an exhibition and conference centre alongside two film studios, show the business achieved a turnover of £52.3m in [...]
Water firm Anglian to pay out £68m after breach of regulations July 29, 2025 Anglian Water is set to pay a £68.2m ‘redress package’ to improve the quality of its waste management after an investigation by the UK’s water watchdog found it had breached regulations. Ofwat found that Anglian Water had “fail[ed] to operate and maintain its wastewater assets adequately”, and that it was “systemically breaching” its duty to [...]
Canon: UK losses almost triple after expectations fall short July 29, 2025 Losses have almost tripled at the UK arm of camera and printer giant Canon as its performance fell below its expectations. The Uxbridge-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax loss of £14.4m for 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The latest pre-tax loss comes after Canon UK posted a loss of £5.1m for [...]
Rachel Reeves at odds with Bank of England over Revolut licence bid July 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves has clashed with the governor of the Bank of England after trying to support Revolut in its protracted regulatory process to secure a full banking licence. The Chancellor is reported to have attempted to secure a meeting between financial watchdogs and Revolut in hopes of pushing forward its banking licence bid. But the [...]
WH Smith sells Funky Pigeon brand for £24m in travel pivot July 29, 2025 WH Smith has sold its Funky Pigeon brand to Card Factory, as the retailer sheds legacy assets ahead of a pivot towards becoming a pared down travel retailer. The Bristol and Guernsey-based novelty greeting cards line was sold for £24m, with Card Factory looking to integrate its technology into its consumer business. Funky Pigeon’s sale [...]
Greggs shuts 56 stores amid ‘challenging start’ to the year July 29, 2025 Greggs has shut more than 50 stores in the first half of 2025 after reporting a “challenging start” to the year. The number of closures without relocation is up 61 per cent compared to the same period last year, while the number of net new shops opening is down 40 per cent to 31, in [...]
Astrazeneca: Demand for cancer drugs boosts pharmaceutical giant July 29, 2025 Astrazeneca has revealed a jump in revenue from cancer drugs amid rumours its boos is eyeing a listing across the pond. Total revenue rose 11 per cent to $28bn (£12.98bn) in the first half of the year, driven by double-digit growth in Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals, the company told markets this morning. Revenue from oncology products [...]
Barclays investment bank powers £1bn profit jump in first half July 29, 2025 Barclays rounded off the first half of 2025 with a major bump in profit as its all-important investment banking arm rallied on global markets turmoil. The FTSE 100 bank delivered a 28 per cent increase in profit before tax as it topped £5.2bn for the first six months of the year. The firm’s investment bank [...]