Michael Gove says government will spend ‘whatever it takes’ to prepare for no-deal Brexit August 9, 2019 The government is prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to ensure Britain is prepared for a no-deal Brexit, Michael Gove has said. Read more: Boris Johnson warns civil servants against ‘complacency’ over no-deal Brexit “The government has done a lot to prepare but there is still a lot to do,” Gove – who is responsible [...]
Ryanair’s Irish pilots overwhelmingly back strike action August 9, 2019 Ryanair pilots in Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action unless the budget airline agrees to trade union pay proposals by Monday. 94 per cent of members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) who are directly employed by Ryanair voted in support of industrial action Members of the trade union had previously [...]
MNG Enterprises discloses 9.4 per cent stake in New Media August 9, 2019 MNG Enterprises has disclosed a 9.4 per cent stake in New Media Investment Group and has said it may try to block the company’s proposed takeover of rival newspaper owner Gannett. Local newspaper giant New Media announced on Monday that it was planning to buy Gannett for $1.4bn (£1.2bn) in a deal that would create [...]
Office set to close up to half its 100 UK stores August 9, 2019 Shoe retailer Office is planning to close up to half of UK stores at it reckons with the decline of business on the high street. The footwear chain is working on plans to close dozens of its 100 stores as their leases expire during the next few years, according to a report by Sky News. [...]
Huawei unveils Harmony operating system as it weans itself off Google Android August 9, 2019 Huawei has unveiled a new operating system for smartphones and other devices, as US trade restrictions threaten its access to American technologies such as Android. The Chinese firm said its smartphones will continue to use Google’s Android operating system for the moment, but that Harmony could replaced Android “immediately” if necessary. “Harmony OS is completely [...]
Investec shareholders protest reappointment of auditors KPMG and EY August 9, 2019 Shareholders at Investec have protested against the reappointment of the group’s auditors at its annual general meeting, which also saw protest votes about directors’ remuneration Just over a fifth (20.1 per cent) of votes cast by shareholders opposed the reappointment of KPMG as joint auditor of Johannesburg-listed Investec Ltd, while 16.6 per cent voted against [...]
Betting cap and US expansion costs hurt William Hill August 9, 2019 William Hill has posted a pre-tax loss for the first half of the year, as the introduction of a regulatory cap on fixed-odds betting terminals and the cost of expanding in the US took a toll. The figures The gambling group reported a pre-tax loss of £63.5m for the first half. Net revenue was up [...]
Burford Capital share price surges as it blasts shortseller Muddy Waters August 8, 2019 Burford Capital has strongly retaliated against the accusations made by Muddy Waters, accusing the shortseller of “fallacious insinuations” and “inflammatory rhetoric”. In a strongly-worded statement issued to investors, Burford denounced Muddy Waters’ report into the company as “baseless”, saying it contained “many factual inaccuracies, simple analytical errors and selective use of information”. The company also [...]
Muddy Waters: Shortsellers are targeting Neil Woodford investments after Burford Capital August 8, 2019 The head of Muddy Waters has warned that shortsellers are attacking Neil Woodford investments a day after he shorted Burford Capital, burning almost £1.8bn off the value of the company. “Shortsellers do definitely look for where Neil Woodford is invested, especially when he’s invested outside of large cap value,” said Carson Block. Read more: Burford [...]
Profit surges at Arrow Global but assets under management shrink August 8, 2019 Arrow Global has reported a huge increase in pre-tax profit but a dip in assets under management, and the debt-purchase specialist has announced a £20m cost-cutting programme. The figures Profit before tax for the first half of the year surged 203.7 per cent to £32.5m, a significant increase on the £10.7m seen in the same [...]
