FTSE closes higher as US stocks pause after busy week for earnings April 30, 2021 The FTSE 100 closed higher today as the economic recovery optimism poised the index for its largest monthly gain since November last year. The blue-chip index rose 0.2 per cent, boosted by positive earnings updates from AstraZeneca and Smurfit Kappa. Meanwhile, the mid-cap FTSE 250 also rose by 0.56 per cent. Both indexes have risen [...]
The wine untouched by the scourge of daylight April 30, 2021 Slovenian Untouched By Light sparkling wine does exactly what it says on the bottle. Its Chardonnay grapes are picked on moonless nights on the Bouvier family (as in Jackie Kennedy) Radgona vineyard in south-east Slovenia and matured in pitch-black, 170-year-old cellars. They are bottled in 99.8% black glass and shipped and sold in vacuum-sealed light-free bags. [...]
London IPO: Darktrace shares surge 40 per cent on market debut April 30, 2021 Shares in UK tech darling Darktrace soared on their London debut, jumping as much as 42 per cent higher than their initial listing price, in an IPO that valued the company at £1.7bn. Darktrace this morning said shares were priced at 250p in its London IPO, the midpoint of the range. Upon the opening bell shares traded [...]
HMRC repays overtaxed pensioners £716m in six years April 30, 2021 Savers overtaxed on pension freedom withdrawals have reclaimed £716m since 2015, when changes were introduced that allowed savers to flexibly access their pensions. The overtaxation occurs when someone accesses their retirement ‘flexibly’ for the first time in a tax year – which can include taking income via drawdown or withdrawing ad-hoc lump sums – HMRC [...]
Goldman Sachs in talks to invest £250m in challenger OVO Energy April 30, 2021 A division of Goldman Sachs is reportedly in talks to invest £250m into the UK’s second largest energy supplier OVO Energy. A private investment division of Goldman Sachs’ asset management division is in “advanced” talks with the company, Sky News reported, and the deal could be announced within weeks. It could raise between £250m and [...]
Central line tube strike expected on polling day April 30, 2021 A 24-hour long Central line tube strike is expected to go ahead on 6 May, a date that coincides with polling day for London’s mayor elections. Central line train operators, Night Tube train operators and instructor operators at Leytonstone, Loughton, West Ruislip & White City Traincrew Depots will take strike action by not booking on [...]
Covid wipes £9m per hour off UK pub and restaurant sales – totalling £81bn in a year April 30, 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has wiped £80.8bn off UK pub and restaurant sales after venues were forced to close or operate under strict restrictions for much of the last 12 months. The latest figures showed that sales from the start of April 2020 – a week after the first lockdown began – to the end of [...]
Covid Secure: we’ve spent too much time on hand sanitiser and not enough on fresh air April 30, 2021 The roll-out of the vaccine continues to be an unequivocal success story for this country, and long may it continue. Earlier this month, however, the Government made a crucial change in its communications strategy – “hands, face, space” became “hands, face, space, fresh air”. This is a subtle, yet significant amendment. It points to the [...]
City A.M. TV: Daily Market Snapshot April 30, 2021 Its been a fascinating month for global equity markets in April. Three key themes have dominated: i) a weak US dollar (and strong currencies elsewhere); ii) a strong US company reporting season (with that replicated in other parts of the globe); & iii) a Fed meeting and a reiteration, once again, of the Fed’s super [...]
Boris Johnson’s mobile number available online for the past 15 years April 30, 2021 The Prime Minister’s mobile number has been online for a decade and a half, meaning thousands of people could have access to Boris Johnson’s phone number. Johnson’s contact details were listed on a 2006 press release from his time as MP for Henley. Gossip newsletter Popbitch gave its readers clues on how to fine the [...]
