OneSavings Bank shares plunge by nearly a quarter after £180m hit from ‘step change’ in customer behaviour July 7, 2023 Shares in OneSavings Bank (OSB) plummeted this morning after the lender revealed it would take a hit of up to £180m from a “step change” in customer behaviour. In a statement released after market close last night, the FTSE 250-listed bank said customers in a certain part of the loan book were choosing to refinance [...]
Minister backs sports fans to intervene in Just Stop Oil protests – but DON’T ‘do a Jonny Bairstow’ July 7, 2023 Sports fans have been backed by a Home Office minister to intervene against protesters as a funder of the Just Stop Oil environmental group insisted its activists’ actions are “vital”. Events have been told to put more stewards and injunctions in place to prevent disruption from protesters as policing minister Chris Philp backed spectators acting [...]
Wall Street falls after hot jobs data raises threat of high rates July 7, 2023 Stocks fell on Thursday after reports suggested the US jobs market remains much more resilient than expected. The S&P 500 lost 35.23, or 0.8 per cent , to 4,411.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 366.38, or 1.1 per cent , to 33,922.26, and the Nasdaq composite gave up 112.61, or 0.8 per cent , [...]
UK to give Ukraine 17 specialist war fire engines to protect against Russia attacks July 7, 2023 The UK will supply Ukraine with 17 specialist fire engines as the war-torn country continues to defend itself against the Russian invasion. The Rapid Intervention and Major Foam Vehicles, sourced from the Royal Air Force, Defence Fire and Rescue and the Welsh Government, are due to arrive in the coming weeks, the Ministry of Defence [...]
Musk vs Zuckerberg row rumbles on as Twitter threatens to sue Meta over Threads July 7, 2023 Twitter has threatened to sue Meta over its fast-growing rival Threads app, alleging that it stole trade secrets. The Instagram and Facebook owner, which launched Threads on Wednesday, appeared to deny that former Twitter employees worked on the creation of the app and used insider knowledge. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said more than 30 [...]
FTSE 100 close: London’s premier index ends week lower after US jobs report July 7, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 closed the week lower as global markets grew increasingly nervous about the extent of interest rate rises still to come. The FTSE 100 closed 0.37 per cent lower at 7,253.43 while the domestically focused FTSE 250 performed more strongly, rising 0.54 per cent to 18,012.46. Investors were digesting the latest jobs data [...]
Savings rates: Banks recognise they need ‘to do more’ after meeting with regulator July 7, 2023 Bank bosses admitted to the regulator that they needed to “do more” to help customers access the best deals on savings products. In a statement after yesterday’s meeting, the regulator said “those in the room recognised that they needed to do more to help their consumers access the best rates.” Savings rates have lagged the [...]
Coca-Cola HBC fizzes up profit forecast as firm puts Russia exit hit behind it July 7, 2023 Coca-Cola HBC AG, the bottling company for the soft drink giant, upped its profit forecasts for 2023 on the back of a “very strong” June performance this morning, prompting shares to jump nearly 5 per cent. The Switzerland-based firm said that it now expects pre-tax earnings growth of between 9-12 per cent for 2023, up [...]
London Underground workers to STRIKE at end of July – here’s all you need to know July 7, 2023 London Underground workers are to take industrial action in a long-running dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said its members will take strike action from July 23 to 28. The RMT said there will be no strike on Monday July 24, while workers in different grades will take action on each of [...]
London house prices fall at fastest rate since 2009 as rising rates dents demand July 7, 2023 UK house prices fell for the third consecutive month with properties in London and the south east coming under the most pressure. According to the Halifax House Price Index, the average house price fell by 0.1 per cent from the month before, taking the average price to £285,932. This means that over the last year, [...]