Bank of England revamps stress test to address virus fallout January 21, 2021 The Bank of England announced on Wednesday that it is tweaking stress tests in the UK banking sector to include fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The BoE has set out a worst-case scenario for the economy which it will test British lenders against. The 2021 stress test will use periods when the economy is growing [...]
World leaders react to Joe Biden entering the White House January 21, 2021 The US is waking up to a new leader, and government vision, as Joe Biden became the country’s 46th president yesterday. The spotlight is now on the future of the country and its international relations rather than the twists and turns that made this presidential race so historic. Here is how world leaders reacted to [...]
Pets at Home sales surge as animal ownership soars January 21, 2021 Pets at Home has reported an 18 per cent leap in revenue to £302m for the third quarter of 2020. The UK’s leading pet care firm showed a strong performance despite coronavirus lockdowns effecting store openings on both a regional and national level. Trading built momentum over the festive period, with like-for-like sales seeing a [...]
City analysts discuss what a Biden administration may hold for financial markets January 20, 2021 In the final hours of Donald Trump’s presidency, investors are turning the spotlight on Joe Biden. As Biden is about to enter the White House, several City-based analysts discuss what the new administration may have in store for different markets and parts of the economy. US Dollar US Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen reaffirmed her [...]
Online sales soar as Dixons Carphone covers wounds of festive store closures January 20, 2021 British retailer Dixons Carphone has seen sales rocket during Christmas as online growth of 121 per cent balanced out store closures. Like-for-like electrical sales increased 11 per cent over the festive period as shares rose by 2.8 per cent, the group announced on Wednesday. Dixons Carphone, who trade as Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse [...]
UK inflation doubles in a month as transport prices rise January 20, 2021 UK inflation doubled in December as prices rose during the festive period, the Office for National Statistics has announced. Prices in the run-up to Christmas were up 0.6 percent compared to a year earlier and rose from 0.3 per cent in November. Higher prices for transport, recreation and culture were flagged by statisticians, despite food [...]
Pubs left in the dark again as government fails to deliver thousands of lifeline grants January 19, 2021 The British Beer and Pub Association has today revealed that 3 in 4 wet-led pubs have still not received the Christmas grant promised to them by Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister personally announced the £1,000 one-off payment at the start of December to help drink-driven pubs that were forced to close during Christmas. However, as [...]
Oxford University given £100m to launch fight against antibiotic resistance January 19, 2021 The University of Oxford has been given £100m for a new institute focusing on resistance to antibiotics, one of the largest donations in its history. The gift will help combat the global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is one of the world’s greatest healthcare challenges. The funding has been delivered by chemicals giant INEOS [...]
Centamin revenue leaps by more than a quarter as gold production thrives in 2020 January 19, 2021 Centamin’s full year revenue has risen by more than a quarter as the gold production firm delivered a strong 2020 performance. Yearly revenue reached $829m, a 26 per cent increase from $658.1m in 2019. Production from the Sukari Gold Mine for the final three months of the year was almost 68,000 ounces, meeting guidance set [...]
Former Hong Kong lawmaker rejects HSBC explanation over frozen bank accounts January 18, 2021 Former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui has renewed his criticism of HSBC despite the bank’s CEO expressing regret for freezing his bank accounts. Noel Quinn, HSBC chief executive, had written to Hui last week explaining that the bank was unable to operate the accounts and was instructed to act by the police. Hui, who fled [...]