UK recession wobble sends FTSE profit warnings back to Covid-19 levels April 24, 2023 The UK’s flirtation with a recession over the last year or so has prompted a wave of the country’s top companies to warn shareholders to expect profits to miss forecasts, a new report out today shows. Profit warnings among UK-listed firms climbed to 75 in the first three months of this year, the highest level [...]
SME loans fall by £14bn in last year with more pain on the way April 24, 2023 Outstanding bank loans to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK fell by £14bn in the year to March with concerns that this figure could fall further due to March’s banking turmoil and mooted regulatory changes. In the year to March, outstanding bank loans fell to £195bn from £209bn according to Bank of [...]
Average house price rises to £366,000 as tenants look to escape rental crisis April 24, 2023 UK house prices jumped again in March, driven higher by soaring rents pushing tenants to seek out their first home, but further interest rate hikes by the Bank of England could send a chill through the market, new research out today shows. The average price of a property coming to market in Britain hit £366k [...]
Who could take over from the CBI? April 24, 2023 Britain’s biggest business organisation, the CBI, has been engulfed by a toxic scandal which threatens to see it collapse. Allegations of rape, sexual attacks and harassment have seen the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) brand damaged “beyond repair”, according to one business leader. A flood of firms announced they were quitting the lobbying group, which [...]
Hunt for Britain’s next top lobby begins as CBI crumbles under scandal April 24, 2023 The hunt for the heir to the CBI’s throne has begun as industry chiefs begin casting around for Britain’s next top business lobby organisation. It comes as the “hopefully temporary” stand-in group BizUK emerged this weekend, in a bid to help steer political parties’ approach to industry ahead of the general election. City grandees suggested [...]
Starmer can’t help but echo Blair with a tough on crime attack on the Tories April 24, 2023 Keir Starmer has done well in following Tony Blair's strategy of using crime as a slogan against the Conservatives. But he'll also have to convince voters that Labour can deliver on it, writes Eliot Wilson
Diplomacy with the EU, the US and beyond will help us bolster our financial services April 24, 2023 Diplomatic relations with the EU and US will only help Britain’s standing post-Brexit, writes Nicholas Lyons
As more fund managers look to merge, an overly hasty marriage could be a set back April 24, 2023 The proposed acquisition of Swiss fund house GAM by Liontrust comes after a series of major mergers, writes Neil Vernon
HSBC shareholders should not vote for Asia spinoff plan, warns advisory group ISS April 23, 2023 HSBC investors should vote against a resolution by the bank’s biggest shareholder Ping An, shareholder advisory group ISS said. Ping An are calling on HSBC to consider strategic options – including a spinoff of its Asia business. The proposal, over which the bank and the Chinese insurer have been arguing since last November, “lacks detailed rationale”, ISS [...]
Week Ahead: Aldi and Lidl tightening the screw on Sainsbury’s as retailers fight to retain price-wary customers April 23, 2023 The supermarket giant is set to report a fall in annual pre-tax profits this week, posting up to £690 million, down from £730 million last year. According to the latest Kantar survey, Sainsbury’s reported a strong 12-week sales growth of 12 per cent at the end of March, but fell short of rivals Aldi and [...]
