Esports brand Fnatic launches crowdfunding campaign after raising $10m November 11, 2020 Shoreditch-based Fnatic is launching a crowdfunding campaign on the back of an increased interest in esports and a recent internal funding round. Venture capital firm Beringea led the $10m round with participation from existing investors Unbound, LVL1 Global and JHD, bringing total investment in Fnatic to nearly $35m. Fnatic, which is the second most watched [...]
Tiktok challenges Trump sale order ahead of deadline November 11, 2020 Tiktok has filed a legal petition challenging an order made by outgoing US President Donald Trump that would force the viral video app to sell its US business by tomorrow. In August Bytedance, the social media firm’s parent company, was given 90 days to divest its US operations due to concerns about national security. The [...]
Wetherspoon slams ‘baffling’ Covid-19 restrictions as sales slump November 11, 2020 JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin this morning slammed “baffling” coronavirus rules, as the pub chain reported a sharp drop in sales due to tightening restrictions. The company, which also revealed it had accepted a £48.3m government-backed loan during the crisis, said sales in the 15 weeks to 8 November plunged 27.6 per cent. Sales had [...]
SSE joins net zero push with 2050 emissions pledge November 11, 2020 Energy giant SSE has become the latest business to commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, it was announced this morning. Over 1,000 companies have already signed up to the “Race to Zero” campaign, placing their operations in line with efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The Scottish business has already put [...]
Heathrow passenger numbers fall for eighth straight month November 11, 2020 Passenger numbers at Heathrow Airport fell for the eight month in a row in October as the government’s travel quarantine regime continued to hammer aviation. The number of people passing through the UK’s largest airport fell 82.4 per cent last month to just 1.2m passengers. The figures came with warnings that November would see an [...]
List and Shout: Round Hill Music raises $282m in London float November 11, 2020 Music royalties firm Round Hill today said it has raised $282m (£212m) from its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange. The Guernsey-based company, which is an owner and operator of music copyright, has outlined plans to snap up a portfolio of song catalogues with the proceeds of the float. It has already identified [...]
China cracks down on tech giants with anti-monopoly laws November 11, 2020 China has outlined proposals for tough new regulations on tech giants, ramping up the pressure on powerful ecommerce sites and payment platforms such as Alibaba. The country’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said the rules were designed to curb monopoly power and block companies from carrying out anti-competitive practices. The new laws are likely [...]
BAE Systems slightly lifts profit forecast as orders beat expectations November 11, 2020 BAE Systems slightly raised its earnings forecast for the full year, with the defence company saying demand for its products had remained high throughout the Covid-19 crisis. In an update to the stock exchange this morning, the group kept its full-year guidance for sales and cashflow unchanged, but said it now expects earnings per share [...]
Dutch bank ABN Amro beats profit expectations after smaller rise in bad loans November 11, 2020 ABN Amro reported expectation-beating results, despite posting a 46 per cent drop in third quarter profit as losses on bad loans due to the Covid-19 pandemic rose less than expected. The Dutch lender posted a net profit of €301m (£268m) for the three months to September, beating bank-compiled analyst forecasts of €111m, but almost half [...]
Eon maintains outlook as market recovery picks up pace November 11, 2020 Energy firm Eon today held its outlook for the full-year as it said third-quarter trading had been buoyed by a better-than-expected market recovery. The Germany-headquartered group has suffered a sharp downturn due to the outbreak of coronavirus, as well as unseasonably warm weather earlier in the year. In the first nine months it booked adjusted [...]
