Sleep-tech firm Simba hails new dawn amid pandemic sales boom January 10, 2021 Rising online sales during the pandemic propelled “sleep-tech” firm Simba back into the black last year, the company announced today. Chief executive Steve Reid hailed today hailed the firm’s “remarkable turnaround” as it booked £100m in sales in 2020. The rapid growth, which will pocket Simba £3m in profit, came on the back of three [...]
The week ahead, 11-15 January: FTSE housebuilders, Asos, Tesco and UK GDP January 10, 2021 London’s markets started the new year in a frenzy last week, picking up over five per cent and closing the gap on their counterparts around the world. This week is set to be a busy one for the FTSE, with a raft of companies due to provide updates, as well as key economic data in [...]
Apple and Amazon suspend Parler from web stores January 10, 2021 Apple and Amazon have followed Google’s lead and suspended Parler from their respective app stores over concerns that the social media platform has not done enough to regulate content inciting violence. The app, which styles itself as an “unbiased” platform, has proved popular with users who have been kicked off other platforms. The suspensions come [...]
Investors to push HSBC to pull out of fossil fuel investments January 10, 2021 A group of investors is reportedly urging banking giant HSBC to reduce its financing of fossil fuels such as coal. According to the Sunday Times, the coalition, which includes European fund manager Amundi and London-listed hedge fund Man Group, is aiming to table a resolution on the issue at April’s AGM. The campaign is being [...]
Trump tie-making firm enters race for Arcadia assets January 10, 2021 A US clothing firm with links to the Trump family has emerged as a bidder for the pieces of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire. The Telegraph reported that G-III Apparel had become the latest company to throw its hat into the ring for brands such as Topshop and Dorothy Perkins. The New York company [...]
City fears over delayed results grow due to new lockdown January 10, 2021 Financial watchdogs are on standby amid fears that a number of listed companies will not be able to report their results on time due to Covid-related disruption. The Sunday Times reported that a group of the regulators will release a statement within days telling firms to communicate quickly if they expect to have difficulty getting [...]
Rolls-Royce betting small is beautiful when it comes to UK nuclear power January 9, 2021 For many, nuclear power stations are eyesores – great slabs of gun-metal grey cluttering up the UK’s coastlines. But that could be about to change. Last year FTSE 100 blue-bloods Rolls-Royce announced it was planning on building a fleet of 16 so-called “small modular reactors” (SMRs) in a move that would shake up the UK’s [...]
FTSE 100 reverses gains but Wall Street shrugs off grim jobs data January 8, 2021 London markets have exited a global rally of share indices, with the FTSE 100 now flat
Sadiq Khan to boost share of London council tax by nearly 10 per cent January 8, 2021 Sadiq Khan today announced that his share of council tax will increase by nearly 10 per cent from April in order to keep funding public transport services. Under the proposals, the average bill for Band D will increase by £2.63 a month – £31.59 over the whole year. Of the increase, £15 will go towards [...]
M&S sales fall over Christmas quarter as lockdown hammers clothing division January 8, 2021 Marks and Spencer (M&S) saw their sales slip over the quarter leading up to Christmas as new lockdown restrictions cast a shadow over the normally lucrative season. The high street stalwart said that total sales fell 8.2 per cent to £2.5bn in the three months to 26 December. Shares in the retailer fell 1.9 per [...]