Jaguar Land Rover: Sales surge as chip supply issues ease April 6, 2023 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is expecting free cash flow of £800m in the fourth quarter, as sales surged 24 per cent surge boosted by an end to chip and other supply constraints. The Coventry headquartered car manufacturer said that wholesale volumes for the fourth quarter were 94,649 units – excluding its Chery Jaguar Land Rover [...]
Check mate as World Chess valued at £41.7m on London Stock Exchange debut April 6, 2023 World Chess has landed on the London Stock Exchange in a move that has priced the gaming and promotion company at £41.7m. The freshly-listed firm, which organises chess championships in both the US and UK, reaffirmed its strong cash position as it made its debut in the market revealing that half year revenue in 2022 [...]
Is HS2 holding up the UK’s construction industry? Output up but housebuilding continues to fall April 6, 2023 Civil engineering rose at its highest level since 2009 in March, according to a leading global index which measures the monthly construction output of the UK economy. At 50.7 in March, the headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global /CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) – which measures month-on-month changes in total industry activity – was [...]
London house prices: Price of a home in the capital will set average buyer back by over £537k April 6, 2023 London house prices continued their upward climb with the average price of a home in the capital £537,250 in March. Halifax’s house price index found that Greater London alongside the North East, were the only areas of the country that did not experience a slowdown in the rate of annual house price inflation. As the [...]
Topps Tiles share price soars as retailer shrugs off slowdown in DIY demand April 5, 2023 Topps Tiles share price closed up nearly seven per cent today after the retailer posted bumper revenues for the first half of the year. The Leicester-headquartered business reported a 9.5 per cent jump in revenues to £130.5m in the 26-week period ending April 1, with some £9m of the revenue growth related to its acquisition [...]
Another bite out of London: Franco Manca set to go private in bumper deal April 5, 2023 The owner of Franco Manca has been snapped up by a Japanese food franchise company in a £93m deal – the latest in a long line of London-listed firms to be taken private by foreign firms. Fulham Shore, which also owns The Real Greek franchise, announced that it was offloading the business to Toridoll, a [...]
Hilton Foods welcomes ex Co-op chief to replace boss of 30 years as profits nosedive April 5, 2023 Meat packer Hilton Foods has blamed “significant” challenges in its seafood wing for nosediving profits, as it welcomes a former Co-op boss to head up the business. The FTSE 250 firm’s share price was down 1.25 per cent this morning, as it witnessed a steep decline in profits down to £29.6m from £47.4m the previous [...]
Co-op warns cost of living crisis will eat into future profits as food to funeral care firm feels pain of inflation April 5, 2023 The Co-operative Group has warned that ongoing inflation and economic uncertainty is likely to reduce its profits in 2023. The food, insurance and funeral care provider revealed its underlying profit remained flat at £100m for the year while EBITDA was down £15m to £490m compared to £505m in 2021. Group revenue for the year was [...]
Homebuyers in London forced to wait it out as UK housing market slows down April 5, 2023 The average time to sell a home jumped by 15 days year-on-year in March as the UK’s housing market was impacted by increased living costs and soaring inflation. Estate agent Zoopla said homes in London took the longest time to sell with property taking an average of 44 days, likely fuelled by the soaring prices [...]
The Body Shop owners sell ‘avant-garde’ skincare brand Aesop to L’Oréal for £2.5bn April 4, 2023 L’Oreal has agreed to buy Australian skin care brand Aesop for $2.5bn (£2bn). The French cosmetics giant snapped up the brand from Natura &Co – owners of British retailer The Body Shop. Since its formation over 30 years ago, Aesop has grown greatly in popularity and is most known for its hand soaps and body [...]