The Merchant of Venice at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse review March 9, 2022 Abigail Graham’s production of The Merchant of Venice, at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, sets out with the stated intention to “reclaim Shakespeare’s disturbing tale”, from whom it is not clear, but it successfully reframes the ancient hatreds central to the text in a way that will sit even more uncomfortably with contemporary audiences. If it [...]
Will the shocks of war end the global deals boom? March 9, 2022 London dealmaking showed the first strains of war this week as precision manufacturer Spectris abandoned its takeover bid for microscope-maker Oxford Instruments, citing volatility sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Asset manager DWS snatches Stagecoach from National Express for close to £600m March 9, 2022 Asset manager DWS Infrastructure has, through subsidiary PEIF III Bidco, snatched Stagecoach from National Express for £594.9m. The news has sent Stagecoach’s share soaring 36.64 per cent to 104.60p. The company has offered 37.2 per cent to Stagecoach’s closing price of 76.55p per share on 8 March, causing Stagecoach’s board to withdraw the National Express [...]
UK impounds aircraft following new round of aviation sanctions against Russia March 9, 2022 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said today UK authorities had impounded an aircraft following a new round of aviation sanctions against Russia. “There is one such aircraft on the ground at the moment at Farnborough that I’ve essentially impounded whilst we carry out further investigations for the last few days – and it’s very important that [...]
Quilter shareholders set for bumper payday as bosses announce £328m capital return March 9, 2022 The boss of Wealth management giant Quilter hailed 2021 an “important” year for the the firm as it reported a boost in profits and unveiled a £328m capital return to shareholders following a share buy back programme.
Exclusive: Top UK, German and Belgian retail bosses planning to launch more embedded finance schemes March 9, 2022 More than 50 per cent of top European business leaders are looking to launch more embedded finance schemes, a survey has revealed. An independent poll of 753 bosses in retail and eCommerce companies spanning the UK, Germany and Belgium, indicated most would back such initiatives – which integrate financial services in non-financial companies. The survey, [...]
Network International sees 900 per cent profit surge under new CEO March 9, 2022 Network International saw profit surge more than 900 per cent last year, under a new Mastercard veteran CEO, as its new business momentum hits record levels. Profit rocketed to $56.5m in the year to 31 December, from just $5.5m in 2020, according to the payments firm’s latest financial results today. Network pulled in 17 new [...]
Legal & General reports boom in profits as it feels post-pandemic lift March 9, 2022 Asset management giant Legal & General reported a surge in profits and hiked its dividend payouts today as it felt the lift of a post-pandemic boom across its divisions.
Prudential enjoys bump in new business profit as it cuts off loss-making US operations March 9, 2022 Life insurance and financial services company Prudential enjoyed a bump to new business profit last year, as the pandemic-era drive to get one’s affairs in order rolls on. New business profit lifted 15 per cent to $2.5bn in the year to 31 December, up from $2.2bn in 2020. The London-headquartered company’s gross premiums for 2021 [...]
Revenue growth drives 888’s ‘record year’ March 9, 2022 Betting and gaming giant 888 has said 2021 was a “record year” for the company, as revenue surged to $980.1m. In the year ended 31 December, the group’s gross profit went up 15 per cent to $647m, while profit before tax rocketed from $26.7m to $81.3m, bringing with it a 500 per cent increase in [...]
