Keir Starmer to promise new deal for workers under a Labour government September 14, 2021 Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to deliver a “new deal for workers” under a future Labour government after facing criticism that he lacks vision. The labour leader will announce a policy to enforce full rights and protections for all workers from day one in a job at a meeting of the Trade Union Congress today. [...]
Trainline ticket sales top £1bn as rail recovery gathers steam September 14, 2021 Trainline’s ticket sales topped £1bn for the first half of this year for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as rail travel picked up sharply. Ticket sales jumped 179 per cent in the period ending August 2021 compared to 12 months ago, when much of the rail network sat idle due [...]
City broker Peel Hunt to IPO on UK’s AIM by end of the month September 14, 2021 Peel Hunt, the London broker for mid and small-cap companies, is to float on London’s AIM market following a pandemic-fuelled trading boom. The employee-owned group has announced it will go public by the end of the month, in a bid to raise money for its expansion plans, which include a move into Europe. As well [...]
Vivendi and Universal Music Group to split during €33bn Amsterdam IPO September 14, 2021 Vivdendi’s Universal Music Group, the music company behind Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones, will split up during its €33bn initial public offering (IPO) set to land next week. Universal’s IPO will see it sever its ties with Vivendi, after dishing out 60 per cent of its shares to Vivdeni shareholders. The music group’s shares [...]
JD Sports first-half profit jumps after post-lockdown demand September 14, 2021 Sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion has reported record earnings for the first half thanks to strong demand for sportswear. However, the company withheld its interim dividend and made the suggestion of a “larger full year dividend” instead. JD Sports said it had been limited by supply chain disruption, meaning it had struggled to meet demand [...]
Aston Martin owner Stroll to invest £200m in new HQ for F1 team September 14, 2021 Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll will put up to £200m into a new manufacturing headquarters for the marque’s Formula 1 team. In an interview with the FT, the Canadian billionaire said he was aiming to increase the team’s valuation to £1bn over the next five years. The 37,000 square metre campus is located near British [...]
Socially responsible investing and performance: a long-term winner September 14, 2021 Companies with stronger ESG ratings outperform, particularly in times of crisis, as we witnessed during 2020, says Coline Pavot, La Financière de l’Echiquier (LFDE)’s head of responsible investment research. Companies that rank well according to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria tend to outperform the average and have greater resistance to crises. This was confirmed [...]
Made.com sees sales jump but still turns a loss in H1 2021 September 14, 2021 Homeware retailer Made.com saw gross sales jump by 54 per cent in the first half of the year, but the company struggled to balance the books. While sales topped £213.9m the company’s loss before tax stood at £10.1m, a 34 per cent improvement on the first half of 2020 when Made.com lost £15.2m. EBITDA climbed [...]
Hot under the collar: Ocado pins revenue tumble on warehouse fire September 14, 2021 Online supermarket Ocado has pinned a revenue dive over the last quarter on a fire at one of its London warehouses, in its latest trading update today. The fire, at its south London Erith Customer Fulfilment Centre in July, cost Ocado some £35m in revenue, it said in a statement – the equivalent of 300,000 [...]
UK unemployment rate falls amid August hiring spree September 14, 2021 The UK unemployment rate fell 0.3 per cent in the last quarter as businesses continued on a hiring spree to keep pace with the economic recovery from the pandemic. According to the Office of National Statistics, the unemployment rate now stands at 4.6 per cent, in line with economists’ forecasts. The fall was powered by [...]
