Pub operator Ei Group’s profits rise thanks to drinks sales boost May 14, 2019 Pub chain Ei Group has posted a modest rise in pre-tax profit for the half year thanks to continued growth in drinks sales. Ei, which is the largest owner and operator of pubs in the UK, posted pre-tax profits of £59m in the six months to the end of March, up from £57m in the [...]
Nationwide scoops £50m prize for small business lending May 14, 2019 Nationwide has won the latest round of funding from a high-profile grant designed to boost small business lending in the UK, pocketing the top £50m prize. Read more: Nationwide invests in ex-Barclays CEO's firm to boost business banking Investec and the Co-operative Bank were also named as winners, taking home £15m each. The awards, handed [...]
Vodafone slashes dividend after racking up hefty losses from 5G investment May 14, 2019 Vodafone has slashed its dividend by 40 per cent after posting heavy losses for the full year. Read more: Vodafone's Australian TPG merger blocked The figures Group revenues fell 6.2 per cent to €43.7bn in the year to the end of March. Vodafone swung to a loss of €7.6bn, compared to a profit of €2.8bn [...]
Music royalties firm PPL collects record revenues of £247m for artists May 14, 2019 Music licensing company PPL has reported its highest-ever annual revenues as it paid out to a record number of musicians and rights holders. PPL, which is one of the UK’s two main royalties agencies, collected revenues for its members of £246.8m in 2018, up 13 per cent on the previous year. Read more: Hipgnosis snaps [...]
Outernet teams up with Technicolor to create new London media landmark May 13, 2019 Entertainment venue firm Outernet Global has teamed up with French giant Technicolor to create a new immersive advertising and live entertainment space in London. The firms have agreed a partnership as part of a multi-billion-pound project to create a new media hub offering a unique broadcasting environment in the West End. Read more: UK digital advertising [...]
Arts minister leads calls to keep £56k Lady Chatterley’s Lover copy in UK May 13, 2019 Arts minister Michael Ellis has led calls to prevent a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover worth more than £56,000 from leaving the UK. Ellis has issued a temporary export ban on an annotated copy of D.H. Lawrence’s controversial novel, which was used by the judge who presided over its infamous obscenity trial. Read more: The [...]
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou thanks firm’s employees in emotional letter May 13, 2019 Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has penned an emotional letter to the company’s employees, saying their support has “brought her to tears”. Meng, who is fighting extradition to the US from Canada, thanked staff at the Chinese tech firm for showing concern for her wellbeing during her detainment in Vancouver. Read more: Huawei CFO [...]
Uber braced for second day of trading after IPO takes a wrong turn May 13, 2019 Uber is braced for its second day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange today after its shares veered off course in a disappointing initial public offering (IPO) on Friday. Shares in the lift-hailing giant closed down 7.6 per cent after its $82.4bn (£63.2bn) float failed to impress investors last week. Read more: Four [...]
Hello sunshine: London temperatures set to soar this week May 13, 2019 Londoners are set to bask in sunshine this week as temperatures rise to a balmy 18°C. After a wet start to the month, the clouds have cleared and temperatures are expected to remain in the high teens throughout the week. Tuesday will bring the week’s warmest weather, with temperatures rising to a high of 18°C, [...]
Tories fall to fifth place in opinion polls as Nigel Farage’s Brexit party snaps up voters May 13, 2019 The Conservatives have slumped to fifth place in an opinion poll ahead of the European elections later this month. Read more: Cabinet allies begin to abandon May as Tories languish in polls The Tories were placed at just 10 per cent, behind almost every major political party, according to a Yougov poll commissioned by the [...]