Weight-loss drugs to slow supermarket sales Retail Weight-loss drugs are set to slim down supermarket sales in the UK as more Brits opt for diet-conscious shopping, a City broker has warned. The growth rate of supermarket sales is expected to slow this year due to the increasing popularity of diet-suppressant jabs, population growth and falling food inflation, according to a note from [...]
Consumer confidence plunges as Labour under fire Economics Consumer confidence plunged to a four-month low last month, a leading survey has suggested, as Budget tax rumours shared by Labour officials instilled fear in Britons up and down the country. S&P Global’s UK consumer sentiment index slipped back in November as households became more nervous about their finances. The reading for household finances dropped [...]
Detached, ignorant, and selfish: City broker blasts the Treasury Economics City broker Shore Capital has blasted the Treasury as incapable of creating economic growth, as Britain gears up for a tax-raising budget. Rumours of various taxes that Rachel Reeves might introduce in this Autumn’s budget in an attempt to plug a £40bn gap in the nation’s finances have been swirling, despite strong pushback from companies and consumers. [...]
UK bank profits in focus as lenders await critical motor finance court ruling July 20, 2025 Investors will be hoping UK banks will report solid earnings as lenders await the outcome of a critical court judgment that could unleash a major car finance compensation scheme. Lloyds Banking Group will kick off the sector’s half-year earnings with its results on Thursday, followed by NatWest Group on Friday. It comes at a significant [...]
Boom in branded treats not enough to offset overall grocery sales July 17, 2025 Premier Foods has reported a slight uptick in sales thanks to a few booming branded categories, although non-branded goods suffered. The company told markets this morning that grocery sales fell 2.7 per cent to £174.7m in the first quarter of the year, with branded sales also down. Overall sales at the company rose 0.2 per [...]
City broker upgrades Boohoo shares to ‘Hold’ April 23, 2025 City broker Shore Capital has upgraded fast-fashion retailer Boohoo, now trading as Debenhams, from a ‘Sell’ to a ‘Hold’ in light of its falling share price. Boohoo’s share price has dropped by more than a third since last November, after a series of poor trading updates and a public spat with Mike Ashley. Shore Capital [...]
FTSE 100 pharma giants GSK and Astrazeneca appear to swerve Trump tariffs April 3, 2025 FTSE 100 pharma giants GSK and Astrazeneca may have escaped the worst of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to a City broker. Pharmaceutical goods appear to be exempt from higher-rate tariffs introduced by President Trump in his Rose Garden ‘Liberation Day’ address on Wednesday, but there is still uncertainty about the impact on the [...]
Asos shares plunge as investors lose confidence March 17, 2025 Asos shares have slumped more than eight per cent in early deals this morning, extending losses recorded over the past few months as investors have lost confidence in the retailer’s turnaround plan. The e-commerce firm’s share price has dropped by a third in the last month and has fallen by half since the start of [...]
Consumer confidence rises in February but cost-of-living crisis ‘far from over’ February 21, 2025 Brits’ confidence rose in February, fueled by better personal finances and a brighter outlook on the general economy. However, confidence remained down on last year. GfK’s index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year rose three points to -7, seven points better than February 2024. The major purchase Index rose three points to [...]
Weir Group equipment orders surge as cost-cutting continues November 5, 2024 Mining specialist Weir Group saw group original equipment orders rise 15 per cent in the quarter, with the first positive original equipment orders growth since the first quarter of last year. The FTSE 100 firm’s cost-cutting programme is progressing at pace, with £19m of cumulative savings brought in so far, it said in a quarterly trading [...]