UK PMIs: Manufacturing activity creeps higher amid Covid restrictions March 1, 2021 UK manufacturing activity climbed back to its highest levels since the latest lockdown began in February, new figures have shown. The IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 55.1 last month, up from 54.1 in January. Any reading above 50 designates growth. However, a combination of supply chain disruption as a result of the Uk’s [...]
European Commission to propose vaccine passport legislation this month March 1, 2021 The European Commission will propose legislation for an EU-wide digital vaccine passport in March, President Ursula von der Leyen said this morning. Speaking to lawmakers this morning, she said: “As for the question of what the digital green passport could look like: we will submit a legislative proposal in March”. Her words come after it [...]
Halfords on track for £100m profit as cycling division keeps the wheels turning March 1, 2021 Halfords this morning said that it was on track to post full year profit of £90m to £100m as a pandemic-inspired cycling boom continued. That’s after paying back £10.7m in furlough income, as the firm announced that it would do this morning. The firm’s shares rose 17 per cent on the back of the announcement. [...]
Daily Mirror owner Reach sees profit fall despite stronger second half March 1, 2021 Reach today posted a 12.8 per cent fall in profit as the newspaper publisher reported a stronger second half of the year. The firm, which owns the Mirror and the Express, said that profit fell to £133.8m, in line with expectations. An 18.9 per cent decline in print revenue over the year sent the group’s [...]
Ladbrokes owner Entain hikes Enlabs offer after shareholder resistance March 1, 2021 Ladbrokes owner Entain has today hiked its offer for Swedish rival Enlabs to around £310m, the firm announced this morning. The FTSE 100 firm said that it was raising its bid from 40 Swedish krona per share to 53 Swedish krona per share, giving the firm a valuation of 3.7bn krona (£311m). The decision to [...]
Lloyd’s of London plans to reopen underwriting room from 17 May February 27, 2021 Lloyd’s of London is reportedly planning to reopen its underwriting room from 17 May for a few hundred people. The City stalwart is one of the first firms to lay out its initial plans for getting workers back into the Square Mile after the coronavirus pandemic. The Telegraph reported that Lloyd’s will allow 30 per [...]
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sees profit rise on stock market charge February 27, 2021 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said that a surge in prices of stocks like Apple had taken the investment firm to a profit of $36bn. The Nebraska-headquartered firm said that quarterly income rose 14 per cent to $5bn, while net income jumped 23 per cent to $35.8bn. The firm has been the beneficiary of a stock [...]
Budget 2021: Sunak pledges £22bn for new infrastructure bank February 27, 2021 Rishi Sunak will use Wednesday’s Budget to announce billions of pounds of funding for the UK’s new infrastructure bank, which is due to launch in the spring. Announced as part of November’s spending review, the bank is part of Sunak’s pledge to provide “once in a generation” investment into the UK’s infrastructure. The Treasury said [...]
Budget 2021: Chancellor set to unveil mortgage guarantee scheme February 27, 2021 The Chancellor will use Wednesday’s Budget to unveil a new mortgage scheme aimed at getting tens of thousands of people onto the property ladder. Under the new programme, first time or current homeowners looking to buy a house of up to £600,000 will need a deposit of just five per cent to secure a mortgage. [...]
Anas Sarwar elected new leader of Scottish Labour party February 27, 2021 Anas Sarwar has this morning been announced as the new leader of the Scottish Labour party after defeating Monica Lennon in a snap election. The vote was triggered when former leader Richard Leonard stepped down in January, saying it was in the best interests of the party. Sarwar’s election comes just three months before elections [...]
