National Lottery minimum age to rise to 18 amid new gambling review December 8, 2020 The government will increase the minimum age to play the National Lottery from 16 to 18 next Autumn and has launched a major review of gambling laws to make sure they are fit for the age of smartphone and in-play betting. Ministers will weigh up whether online restrictions like stake and spend limits and extra [...]
UK hiring outlook weakest in Europe as Covid hits London jobs market December 8, 2020 UK companies are the most pessimistic in Europe about hiring in the first quarter of next year, according to a major survey, with London’s jobs outlook hitting its lowest level on record as the hospitality industry is battered by coronavirus. However, the overall jobs outlook for the UK for the first three months of next [...]
FTSE 100 outperforms Europe as Brexit hits sterling December 7, 2020 Brexit uncertainty paradoxically helped the FTSE 100 outperform European markets, as a tumbling pound boosted the index. The FTSE was 0.4 per cent higher shortly after midday, trading at around 6,577 points. Sterling was down 1.2 per cent to $1.328, having touched a two-year high on Friday, as investors worried about the lack of progress [...]
Pound slides as investors fret over Brexit talks December 7, 2020 The pound fell sharply as investors began to question whether a Brexit deal would be reached, with traders unwinding bets made last week amid fresh uncertainty over negotiations. Sterling tumbled 1.3 per cent against the dollar to $1.326, having hit a two year high of $1.354 on Friday. The pound also slid against the euro, [...]
Eurozone investor sentiment soars amid vaccine optimism December 7, 2020 Positive vaccine news has made Eurozone investors vastly more cheery, with a closely watched sentiment index hitting its highest level since February. The Sentix Eurozone investor sentiment index jumped to minus 2.7 in December from minus 10 in November, the data company said today. Driving the surge was a sharp recovery in investors’ views of [...]
UK house prices grow at strongest pace in four years December 7, 2020 UK house prices soared by 7.6 per cent in the year to November, according to the latest figures from Halifax, as buyers sought more space and tried to beat the end of the stamp duty holiday. House prices rose 1.2 per cent month on month and 7.6 per cent year on year to hit an [...]
Connells submits firm £112m offer for Countrywide December 7, 2020 Estate agency group Connells has upped its offer for rival Countrywide to around £112m, after making an earlier offer was rejected. Connells today announced a firm cash offer for Countrywide, the UK’s biggest listed estate agent, at a price of 325p per share. That was up from the 250p price floated in November. The group [...]
Ted Baker’s losses deepen as coronavirus hits retailer December 7, 2020 Fashion retailer Ted Baker’s losses deepened in the first half of the year as coronavirus took a heavy toll on the UK firm’s business. Ted Baker’s reported operating loss before tax was £86.4m in the six months ended 8 August, down from a loss of £23m in the same period a year earlier. Underlying losses [...]
Starling says IPO ‘in our sights’ amid reported big-bank interest November 28, 2020 Challenger bank Starling has said it has its sights set on an IPO after a report said City giants Lloyds and JP Morgan were interested in the company. JP Morgan has talked about snapping up Starling, while Lloyds is interested in its technology, The Times reported. However, Starling today said: “An IPO is still in [...]
Mike Ashley ‘offers Arcadia £50m’ as crows circle retail group November 28, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is suggesting a £50m loan to keep Arcadia Group in business as the crows circle around the failing retail giant. Plans for the emergency loan come as Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia prepares to call in administrators, according to Sky News. It would be one of the biggest corporate victims of the [...]
