British Gas owner Centrica kills dividend and delays Spirit Energy sale April 2, 2020 British Gas owner Centrica has abandoned 2020 guidance as it cancelled its 2019 dividend today and warned it would take at least a £100m hit from coronavirus. Centrica’s shares dived 7.3 per cent to a record low in early trading as it warned the fallout of an oil price war and the coronavirus lockdown would [...]
BCC: UK businesses face cash flow crisis in coronavirus fallout April 2, 2020 Most of Britain’s small businesses have just three months or less of cash reserves as they bid to survive the UK coronavirus outbreak, according to a study released today. And firms have already experienced a “sharp and significant” fall in domestic and overseas revenue amid a global coronavirus lockdown. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), [...]
Boris Johnson: Testing is key to unlocking UK coronavirus ‘puzzle’ April 2, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said a big increase in testing is the way to “unlock the puzzle” of the UK coronavirus outbreak. The Prime Minister admitted the government must “massively ramp up” testing after it emerged just 2,000 frontline NHS workers have been tested for coronavirus. A rapid increase in NHS testing was necessary [...]
Coronavirus: UK house prices growth ‘grinding to a halt’ April 2, 2020 UK house prices rose three per cent last month just before the coronavirus outbreak hit, according to Nationwide figures released today. But the bank warned housing market activity is “grinding to a halt” as the coronavirus lockdown stops buyers and sellers from viewing properties. Banks have also withdrawn mortgages or made it tougher to secure [...]
Oil prices slump again as US ramps up production April 1, 2020 Oil prices fell again this morning, just days after they touched an 18-year low amid a massive slump in demand and oversupply concerns. Brent crude sank 3.6 per cent today to hit $25.40. And West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 1.3 per cent to teeter on the edge of the $20 mark, at $20.21. Two days [...]
13-year-old boy from London dies as UK coronavirus death toll jumps April 1, 2020 A 13-year old boy from Brixton who was treated for coronavirus has died, London’s King’s College Hospital has confirmed, as UK coronavirus cases continue to rise. Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from Brixton in south London, is believed to be the youngest person to die from the coronavirus in the UK. A spokesperson for the hospital said [...]
British Airways suspends Gatwick flights over coronavirus March 31, 2020 British Airways has temporarily suspended flights from Gatwick Airport over the worldwide coronavirus crisis. BA has already warned it must slash jobs and ground planes to combat coronavirus travel bans, and today took the step of stopping Gatwick flights. “Due to the considerable restrictions and challenging market environment, like many other airlines, we will temporarily [...]
CMA clears Paddy Power owner Flutter’s £10bn gambling merger March 31, 2020 A gambling mega-merger between Paddy Power owner Flutter and Sky Bet owner Stars got the green light today from the UK’s competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared Flutter’s £10bn purchase of Stars after opening an investigation into the tie-up at the start of February. The CMA found punters would not receive less [...]
AA suspends dividend to brace for possible coronavirus blow March 31, 2020 Repair firm the AA today cancelled its 2019 dividend as it sought to protect itself from the coronavirus outbreak. The company said it has not yet seen any impact from coronavirus, but suspended its final dividend at it outlined multiple future risks. Investors will still receive an interim dividend payment of 0.6p per share. The [...]
Easyjet grounds all airplanes over coronavirus March 30, 2020 Easyjet has grounded its entire fleet of more than 300 aircraft in the wake of “unprecedented” travel restrictions over the global coronavirus pandemic. The budget flyer warned today “there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights”. It has grounded its entire fleet of commercial aircraft and put its cabin crew staff [...]
