London is a great city – and much of it could be on your doorstep September 25, 2020 We live in cities because we want to be in the heart of the action. We are often willing to overlook the daily downfalls — expensive rent and overpriced pints to name a few — simply because there is no better place in the world to work, socialise and embrace opportunities than in this city. [...]
Government eases pressure on small businesses with further loans support September 24, 2020 The government today rolled out a much needed lifeline for small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic by loosening the terms under which they have to pay back emergency loans. Under the new scheme, dubbed “pay as you grow” by chancellor Rishi Sunak, all businesses who have borrowed money through the Bounce [...]
Smiths Group shares tumble as profit sinks by a quarter during pandemic September 24, 2020 Shares in Smiths Group sank as much as eight per cent this morning, as the industrials conglomerate reported a 26 per cent drop in pre-tax profit for the year following a “disrupted” few months during the pandemic. The results Pre-tax profit for the 12 months to the end of July slumped 26 per cent to [...]
Volunteers ‘to be deliberately infected with Covid-19’ in UK vaccine trials September 24, 2020 Britain is reportedly planning to host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with Covid-19 to test the effectiveness of potential vaccines. So-called challenge trials are expected to begin at a quarantine facility in London in January, the Financial Times reported, citing people involved with the project. The government said it was working with partners [...]
Action on climate speaks louder than words, but communicating that action is also key September 24, 2020 Rather than being overshadowed by the pandemic, if anything Climate Week in New York — which began on Monday — has been amplified by the focus on building back greener and fairer. This is mirrored by more and more businesses making Net Zero commitments — PwC being among the organisations to announce one in recent [...]
The travel industry will not survive without a radical U-turn September 24, 2020 The tourism and outbound travel industries are no strangers to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the globe, international and domestic travel has been brought to its knees by the far-reaching impacts of coronavirus, and the ramifications are no clearer than in the United Kingdom. In the last month alone, we have seen the [...]
Daily coronavirus cases hit highest level since 1 May September 23, 2020 There were 6,178 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK today, the highest figure since 1 May, government data showed. The new figure is roughly a quarter higher than yesterday, when there were 4,926 cases, the Department of Health and Social Care said. There were also 37 new deaths from the disease, which is [...]
HSBC, Citi, Goldman and Deutsche Bank pause plans to return to office September 23, 2020 Banks have rushed to pause plans for staff to return to their UK offices following fresh government guidance on coronavirus. Deutsche Bank and Citigroup have also encouraged staff to return to work remotely amid concerns over rising Covid-19 cases. Read more: City firms begin to send workers home after new government rules The banks’ changes [...]
The “homebody economy” – investing in your digital back yard September 23, 2020 | City Talk It is clear that UK shares are unloved. No likes, no shares, no new friend requests. The level of gloom surrounding this market is remarkable even amongst UK based investors, who, you might think, should feel more comfortable investing here. This is not just pandemic queasiness. Although the UK economy is service-led to some extent, [...]
Ten Entertainment swings to loss as pandemic gutters sales September 23, 2020 Bowling alley chain Ten Entertainment swung to a loss in the first half of 2020 after a nationwide lockdown during the coronavirus crisis slashed revenue in half. The results Revenue slumped 46 per cent to £22.5m in the six months to 28 June, down from £41.4m in the same period last year. The group booked [...]