Asos: Loss widens but company optimistic on growth November 5, 2024 Asos has reported a steep drop in revenue but said its restructuring has created the foundations for a return to growth. The e-commerce giant reported an operating loss of £331.9m for the year to 1 September 2024, up £83.4m from a loss of £248.5m in 2023. Like for like, revenue fell by 16 per cent [...]
Retail sales growth slumps in October as consumers remain cautious November 5, 2024 Retail sales growth dipped in October due to pre-election anxiety, the latest figures have shown. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG sales monitor, retail sales in the UK increased by 0.6 per cent year over year in October, compared to 2.6 per cent growth in October 2023. Food sales nudged up 2.9 per cent [...]
Bonfire Night Wines November 5, 2024 During the time of Guy Fawkes, the historical figure for whom today’s Bonfire Night was created, drinking water was often riddled with dirt and germs meaning fermented or brewed alcoholic beverages were deemed safer to drink. Ale and beer, both lower in alcohol than modern day versions, were the staple of most adults and children [...]
UK resumes tech-focused trade talks with South Korea November 5, 2024 The UK is resuming trade talks with South Korea with discussions focused on boosting tech and digital services. British negotiators have flown to Seoul to meet South Korean counterparts today as talks restart in a bid to secure a modern, digital-focused trade agreement. It is the first time the discussions have recommenced under the Labour [...]
Terry Smith’s £23bn fund falls out of favour after Magnificent Seven misstep November 5, 2024 Terry Smith’s £23bn equity fund has once again fallen off a list of the UK’s most-bought investment vehicles after failing to cash in on the performance of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ tech stocks, new analysis suggests. The Magnificent Seven refers to a group of US tech giants, including Alphabet, Meta and Nividia, that have seen stratospheric [...]
MPs plan to question Shein boss as firm eyes London IPO November 5, 2024 A cross-party group of MPs will call in Shein’s boss to comment on the risk of forced labour in fast-fashion supply chains, according to committee chair Liam Byrne. The House of Commons business select committee is finalising plans for an inquiry into employment rights in the workplace, which will, amongst other things, examine the risk [...]
City holds off on big bets ahead of knife-edge US election November 4, 2024 City of London traders are refraining from big bets on US government debt and the dollar as the US election enters its final days on a knife edge, analysts have told City AM. With the last election taking four days to call, and polls suggesting Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are neck and neck heading [...]
No10 warned over risk of ‘killing off’ family-run firms November 4, 2024 Downing Street is attempting to weather a storm whipped up by entrepreneur James Dyson over changes to the inheritance tax treatment of family-run businesses. In an article in the Times, Dyson accused the government of “killing off family businesses, individual aspiration and economic growth” with their approach to death duties in the Budget. The high-profile [...]
Mel Stride and Priti Patel given top shadow cabinet jobs November 4, 2024 Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel have been appointed as shadow Chancellor and shadow foreign secretary as new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch assembles her front-bench team. Both Stride and Patel ran against now-Conservative leader Badenoch in the race to replace Rishi Sunak following the July 4 election. Their appointments are the first to shadow the [...]
Reeves should be ‘thankful’ for avoiding Truss-style market crisis, analysts say November 4, 2024 Rachel Reeves should be “thankful” for avoiding the same fate as Liz Truss after the government's inaugural Budget triggered turmoil in the gilt market last week, analysts have said.
