Water giant United Utilities forecasted to hit higher profits November 18, 2018 United Utilities, the UK’s largest listed water firm, is forecasted to post a rise in earnings and profits when it reveals its first-half results later this week. According to City estimates the FTSE 100 group is set to report earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of £360m in the first six months of the financial [...]
Next shares drop as online shopping boost masks high street malaise October 31, 2018 Clothing and home products retailer Next managed to balance out falling high street sales with its growing online business, its third quarter trading update showed today. Store sales for the quarter were down eight per cent year on year and 6.3 per cent in the year to date compared with 2017. But online sales shot [...]
Seven top tips if you want to retire early October 24, 2018 Picture this: a life of lie-ins and long holidays – all when you’re still spritely enough to enjoy the free time. For many of us, the prospect of retiring early will seem like a pipe dream. It’s true that there is no magic formula – whether you can afford early retirement is usually a question [...]
Lloyds and Schroders sign £80bn joint venture deal October 23, 2018 Lloyds Banking Group and Schroders struck one of the City’s largest ever wealth management alliances this afternoon, joining forces in a multi-billion pound deal aimed at financial planning for wealthy customers. As part of the joint venture, Schroders will take on an £80bn investment contract from Scottish Widows, which is owned by Lloyds. Schroders, which [...]
FTSE 100 falls to seven-month low amid Europe-wide sell-off of stocks October 23, 2018 The FTSE 100 fell to a seven-month low this morning as a Europe-wide sell-off of stocks saw shares drop 1.1 per cent. The index opened below the 7,000 mark today as investors were rattled by world events including Italy’s expansionary budget, Brexit, Saudi oil prices and a poor run of third quarter results this morning. It [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown warns of ‘industry-wide slowdown’ as assets grow 3 per cent October 11, 2018 Hargreaves Lansdown weathered an “industry-wide slowdown,” adding £2.5bn in assets in the last quarter as the company struggled with uncertain markets and investors. The investment platform grew quarterly revenue 16 per cent to £121m compared to last year. Read more: UK banks risk being downgraded in no-deal Brexit situation It added net new business of [...]
Unilever’s board has now lost the Lynx effect with UK investors, a new era for spin city and a hand from above October 5, 2018 How ironic that one of the world’s great consumer marketing machines – responsible for brands like Lynx, Persil and Magnum – should be making such a hash of a sales pitch to its own investors. Unilever’s insistence that it remains “confident” of winning this month’s vote to scrap its British headquarters sounds more strained by the [...]
Ocado claims the FTSE 350 crown while Indivior takes a kicking October 2, 2018 Online supermarket Ocado has claimed the top spot in the FTSE 350’s best performers so far this year just months after sealing its place as a FTSE 100 player, with shares soaring after a swathe of new licensing deals. Shares in Ocado have rocketed 126 per cent since the start of 2018, as the firm [...]
Chained to its rival? Halfords swoops in for embattled bike chain Evans Cycles September 27, 2018 Britain’s largest bike chain Halfords is in talks to rescue its beleaguered rival Evans Cycles, according to Sky News late last night. Halfords is understood to be one of several parties which have shown interest in buying Evans, which has hurried up the bidding process in an effort to avoid collapse. The news comes [...]
Calls for Brexit deal to protect UK asset management industry September 13, 2018 Analysts have called for the final Brexit deal to protect the asset management industry as it emerged that the value of investments managed in the UK for European clients increased by 30 per cent last year. A total of £3.2 trillion is managed in the UK for overseas clients, of which £1.8 trillion is assets from European [...]