May’s stamp duty tax on foreign buyers forces down FTSE developers’ share prices October 1, 2018 More than half a billion pounds was wiped off the value of some of the UK’s largest housebuilders today, as the City digested news of Theresa May’s planned property tax on foreign buyers. Shares in Berkeley Group, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey all slid in the wake of the Prime Minister’s weekend announcement to slap [...]
Bumper summer and Booker buyout set to boost Tesco profits September 30, 2018 Tesco will be hoping to post strong first-half profits on Wednesday, as a blistering summer heatwave, successful World Cup run and a royal wedding are all likely to have boosted the firm’s performance. Consensus estimates compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence show that earnings before tax (excluding exceptions) could hit £795m in the first six [...]
Raising stamp duty for foreigners won’t fix Britain’s housing crisis September 30, 2018 It can't be easy, being Theresa May. The Prime Minister faces constant battles on several fronts – grappling with negotiators in Brussels, rebutting opposition parties in Westminster, and fending off leadership plotters within her own ranks. Little surprise the domestic policy agenda can sometimes seem like an afterthought. Ahead of this week's Tory party conference [...]
Editor’s Notes: The Tories face a huge challenge, but they must take the fight to Corbyn September 28, 2018 Having observed the Labour party conference from a safe distance I’ll be travelling to Birmingham on Sunday to soak up the atmosphere at the annual Tory gathering. My first port of call will be speaking at a dinner hosted by City comms firm Cicero, where I shall sing for my supper and offer a [...]
Big brains, fake news and bad deals: Five things Trump said last night to spark worldwide outrage September 27, 2018 Bloomberg has called it “the end of presidential press conferences”. In a bizarre and colourful 83-minute news conference last night, Donald Trump, as is his wont, gave reporters much to chew on. Sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nomination and an escalating trade war with China were among the issues the President confronted. [...]
Cut taxes for new firms in towns under threat from robot revolution, says report September 27, 2018 Tax breaks should be handed to businesses setting up in 'left behind' towns vulnerable to the rise of automation, according to a new report. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) believes entrepreneurs should be handed financial incentives to attract them to ten northern towns at risk of further decline thanks to the impending technological [...]
H&M revenues bounce after online focus, but logistics system dampens profits September 27, 2018 Swedish fashion brand H&M posted bumper revenues for the nine months to the end of August this morning, as third-quarter sales climbed amid the retailer’s efforts to ramp up its online shopping operations in the wake of persistent high street troubles. Revenues in the third quarter of 2018 climbed nine per cent to Skr64.8bn [...]
The shadow chancellor: A thief who plans to rob British business blind September 27, 2018 Somebody has got to say it: the shadow chancellor John McDonnell is a thief (well, an aspiring thief), with his planned 10 per cent giveaway of company equity to workers. The Theft Act 1968 says a person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving [...]
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn set out competing economic visions in major speeches September 26, 2018 Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn set out competing visions of Britain's future on Wednesday with two radically different speeches on the economy. Addressing the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York, May praised free markets and vowed to slash the UK's corporation tax to the lowest rate in the G20 after Brexit. As the PM addressed [...]
Pub giant Shepherd Neame serves up rising profits September 26, 2018 Britain’s oldest pub owner posted a five per cent rise in profit in the year to the end of June this morning, following 12 months that have seen the brewer ramp up its operations in London and the south east. Read more: Spirits in the sky as pub landlord enjoys bumper summer of profits Shepherd [...]