Co-operative Bank: Core business posts profit – but group warns there is still hard work ahead May 20, 2016 The Co-operative Bank's core business has posted a profit for the first three months of the year – shrugging off the losses it made last year. The figures It was a bit of a mixed bag, with total core bank net customer loans up from £14.7bn at the end of December to £15.2bn, thanks to growth [...]
BHS liquidation rumours dismissed: Sale expected “early next week” May 20, 2016 A sale of BHS as a going concern could be revealed as early as next week – but there are still concerns that the iconic retailer may end up being liquidated. A source close to the situation has told City A.M. that bids are still being mulled and it is hoped BHS will be sold [...]
For Asda boss Andy Clarke, the nadir may be yet to come May 20, 2016 It takes a brave man to call the bottom. It's just so easy to get it wrong. Asda boss Andy Clarke certainly appears to have jumped the gun when he said last August that the Walmart-owned supermarket had reached its “nadir”. At the time, his words were meant to give reassurance that, although the business [...]
EU referendum: Hundreds of celebrities urge public to vote for Remain May 20, 2016 Celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, Jude Law and Keira Knightley have signed an open letter in support of the EU, as we enter the final weeks before the referendum. Hundreds of actors, writers, directors and artists have put pen to paper ahead of the vote, urging the public to vote to remain part [...]
Moss Bros lays best suit ahead of AGM May 20, 2016 Moss Bros is looking smart, shrugging off high street woes that have claimed casualties including rival Austin Reed. The figures Total sales at Moss Bros rose 3.3 per cent in the 15 weeks to 14 May, while like-for-likes were up five per cent. The suit group's retail sales, including ecommerce, climbed 5.1 per cent in the period, while hire [...]
Walmart up, Asda down: First quarter figures show supermarket still failing to get to grips with turnaround plan May 19, 2016 Woes continue for UKsupermarket Asda, which posted yet another quarterly fall in sales. However, Walmart's share price soared 9.2 per cent in morning trading on the back of the wider group's success. The figures Asda posted a 5.7 per cent fall in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 30 March. The drop comes as parent company Walmart posted [...]
Man arrested after scaling Buckingham Palace walls May 19, 2016 A man has been arrested following a security breach at Buckingham Palace, police have confirmed. The 41-year-old man was arrested in the royal grounds after scaling an outside perimeter wall just after 8:30pm last night. He was not armed and officers did not have to deploy a Taser. He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected [...]
Airline and holiday operators’ share prices fall in wake of missing EgyptAir MS804 flight May 19, 2016 Shares in airlines and holiday operators were suffering this morning in the wake of what appears to be another potential disaster involving a passenger jet. EgyptAir flight MS804 went missing overnight as it was travelling between Paris and Cairo, with 56 passengers and a further 10 crew and security members on board. Three of the people [...]
Thomas Cook summer bookings down in wake of terror attacks May 19, 2016 Thomas Cook' losses have narrowed, but demand is still suffering as a result of the many terrorist attacks of the last few months. But Thomas Cook's share price was down more than 11.4 per cent in early trading – although this may in part be because it has released its results on the same day an EgyptAir [...]
Mothercare takes baby steps towards recovery with first statutory profit in five years May 19, 2016 Mothercare's share price has soared more than 10.3 per cent this morning after posting its first statutory profit in five years. The figures Revenues dropped 4.5 per cent worldwide to £1.15bn, with the international market continuing to be "challenging". However total UK sales were up 0.3 per cent to £459.7m, with like-for-likes up 3.6 per cent. Group [...]
