Ryanair shares soar as carrier aims to fly 225m passengers a year by 2026 September 16, 2021 Shares in Ryanair are flying today after it announced that it now expects to fly 225m passengers a year by March 2026, a 25m hike on its previous target. By the midmorning, shares were up 6.7 per cent. In a statement ahead of today’s AGM, the Irish carrier said that it now expected to see [...]
Power cable fire sends electricity prices higher again September 16, 2021 UK energy prices have continued to surge after a fire yesterday knocked out a crucial power cable that can supply electricity to 1.4m homes. Day-ahead power prices climbed 19 per cent on the back of the incident, with the “interconnector” not expected to be repaired until March. Gas prices closed in on £2 a therm, [...]
Kier back in profit after turnaround process completed September 16, 2021 Construction firm Kier crept back into profit today after two years of hefty losses after completing its reset of the company’s operations. The London-listed firm made a £5.6m reported profit, swinging back into the black after a £225m loss last year. It said that it would use the £351m it has gathered through the sale [...]
UK, US and Australia sign new defence pact to tackle China September 16, 2021 The UK last night announced a new “landmark” security pact with the US and Australia in a move that’s been widely seen as an attempt to tackle China. AUKUS, as the new partnership will be known, will initially focus on acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for Australia for the first time ever. But the deal, the biggest [...]
No sign of slowing down for Cazoo as buying spree continues September 15, 2021 Cazoo has continued its recent acquisition spree by snapping up car preparation and storage firm SMH Fleet Solutions (SMH) for £70m. The firm, which operates six sites across the UK, carries out 70,000 vehicle refurbishments a year. Its 500 staff will join Cazoo as the used car marketplace seeks to continue the rapid growth it [...]
Kremlin: Launch Nord Stream 2 to balance gas prices September 15, 2021 The Kremlin today said that a rapid start-up of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline would help to correct sky-high gas prices across Europe amid a squeeze in supply. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Undoubtedly, the quickest launch of Nord Stream 2 would significantly balance out the pricing parameters of natural gas in Europe, including on the spot [...]
Lights out for two more energy firms amid record power prices September 15, 2021 Two more energy suppliers have gone bust, leaving 500,000 customers needing a new provider, amid record prices for electricity and gas. Both Utility Point and People’s Energy have ceased trading, Ofgem has announced, the sixth and seventh energy companies to do so this year. Bournemouth-based Utility Point provided power to 220,000 customers, while London’s People’s [...]
Car dealer Pendragon beats profit expectations despite lockdowns September 15, 2021 Car dealer Pendragon said it had beaten its first half profit expectations despite the lockdowns that were in effect for much of January and February. The London-listed firm posted profit of £35.1m, up from a loss of £31m last year. It also reported a 49 per cent hike in revenue to £1.8bn, up from £1.2bn [...]
UK inflation soars to 3.2 per cent in record jump September 15, 2021 Inflation rose at the fastest rate since records began last month, new data showed today, though economists warned the jump was likely to be temporary. The Consumer Prices Index rose 3.2 per cent in August, up from 2.0 per cent in July, the single biggest one-month jump since the ONS began publishing the data in [...]
Darktrace hikes revenue forecasts after punchy start to listed life September 15, 2021 Cybersecurity firm Darktrace this morning hiked its revenue forecasts for 2022 as it made a strong start to life as a listed company. The company said that it expected revenue growth of 35 to 37 per cent next financial year, the second time in recent months that it has upped its predictions. The confident outlook [...]