Pearson profits soars over 50 per cent as AI strategy pays off July 31, 2023 Pearson has posted a strong first half of the year after it has started to embrace Artificial Intelligence in May. The London-based publisher said on Monday that it achieved a 56 per cent increase headline growth, with its adjusted operating profit up to £250m. The listed firm also said there had been 44 per cent [...]
Apple set for a sales dip – but will that hurt its record-high share price? July 30, 2023 Analysts predict that Apple will report a dip in sales on Thursday, but are unsure if this will stop its record-breaking share price surge. It is anticipated the tech giant will report a two per cent year-on-year dip in sales down to $81.7bn (£63.5bn) this third quarter, as consumers cut back or hold of on [...]
John Lewis revamps marketing approach as it tackles losses July 28, 2023 John Lewis has created a ‘customer planning team’ to make the most out of its marketing budget in stores and online, as it struggles with huge losses. The upmarket British retailer, famed for its annual tearjerker Christmas ad, has appointed Andreas Nicolaides to lead the new team from October. John Lewis, which owns Waitrose, said [...]
Unilever: Ben & Jerry’s maker appoints new chair as leadership shake-up continues July 28, 2023 Ben & Jerry’s maker Unilever has appointed a new chair as the shakeup of its top team continues. The British company, which makes everything from ice-cream and Hellmann’s to Wall’s, said Ian Meakins will join Unilever’s board on 1 September as its non-executive director and chair designate. He currently serves as the chair of British [...]
AstraZeneca: Revenue boost despite welcome end of Covid-19 jab sales July 28, 2023 Britain’s biggest FTSE firm AstraZeneca reported an uptick in sales as oncology treatments helped pick up the slack from falling sales of Covid-19 medicines. The pharmaceutical company made over $22.2bn (£17.3bn) – a four per cent increase – during the first half of 2023, causing shares to spring over three per cent on market open [...]
Samsung profits tank 95 per cent as chip demand dwindles July 27, 2023 Samsung experienced a 95 per cent plunge in profit during their second quarter, causing shares to drop over three per cent on Thursday. The Korean electronics company reported an operating profit of 670bn Korean won (£407m) for the three months ending 30 June, its lowest in 14 years, and significantly down from the 14.1t (£8.5bn) [...]
ITV earnings plunge over 50 per cent amid ‘challenging’ ad market July 27, 2023 British broadcaster ITV reported a steep drop earnings today as it grapples with the downturn in the advertising market. The streaming giant said their group adjusted EBITA plummeted to 52 per cent to £152m in the six months ending June 30, down from £318m in the first half of 2022. ITV said this reflected “the challenging advertising [...]
BT: Departing Jansen’s investment in fibre and Openreach pays off with revenue jump July 27, 2023 Telecoms giant BT has today reported a notch up in revenue after continued successful roll out of their Openreach full fibre broadband. The British mobile network operator’s revenue grew to nearly £5.2m in the first quarter this year, up four per cent from the same period in 2022. This was mainly driven by revenue from [...]
IQE meets £52m revenue targets amid challenging semiconductor market July 26, 2023 Global semiconductor supplier IQE has performed in line with expectations during the first half of the year. The British manufacturer will hit a revenue of “at least” £52m in line with market guidance and management expectations, IQE said today in an unaudited pre-close trading update for the six months ended 30 June 2023. The AIM-listed [...]
Google and Microsoft AI showdown continues July 26, 2023 After Microsoft and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reported better-than-expected results yesterday, analysts say the race to dominate the burgeoning AI field is moving quickly. Alphabet’s robust performance saw a 3.3 per cent surge in ad revenue, as search revenue hit $42.63bn (£32.98bn), causing shares to climb six per cent on Wednesday. Despite the market applause, [...]