Recruitment firm Staffline expects to beat forecasts as end of furlough to boost training unit April 26, 2021 Recruitment firm Staffline said this morning it expects its financial results for this financial year to be ahead of forecasts as the employment market bounces back after the latest lockdown. The company said it anticipates that it will benefit from the end of the furlough scheme, as people search for new jobs and training courses, [...]
Draper Esprit’s tech bets pay off as portfolio value jumps 35 per cent April 26, 2021 UK venture capital firm Draper Esprit has increased its gross portfolio value by more than 35 per cent to £955m in the last year, the company said this morning. Delivering its full year trading update, Draper Esprit said the market for tech company investments has been “exceptionally strong” during the pandemic. Martin Davis, CEO of [...]
Superdry appoints ex-Helly Hansen boss as chairman April 26, 2021 Superdry has appointed the former boss of Norwegian sportswear brand Helly Hansen as its new chairman. The retailer announced this morning that Peter Sjolander will join the board on 29 April, with current chairman Peter Williams stepping down on the same day after two years in the role. Sjolander, who was Helly Hansen’s chief executive [...]
Former Post Office boss quits Morrisons and Dunelm boards April 26, 2021 Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has this morning stepped down from her roles on the boards of Morrisons and Dunelm after one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in recent history. In statements issued by the two firms, they confirmed she would step down with immediate effect. Andrew Higginson, Morrisons chairman, said: “Paula has [...]
London Mayoral election: The leader of the capital needs the constitutional power to get the job done April 26, 2021 The Mayoral election is just over one week away. You will be easily forgiven if it’s not at the forefront of your mind – over the last year London has been hammered by the pandemic. The capital has lost more jobs than any other region, with a disproportionate effect on younger people, those in lower [...]
Bank earnings preview: What to expect in this week’s quarterly results April 26, 2021 While the banking sector has recovered somewhat in the past two months this week the issue of bad loans and customer defaults will be front of mind. The sector set aside billions in provisions for bad loans at the start of the pandemic, expecting a huge increase in defaults. However with thanks to government support [...]
Economy shows green shoots of recovery as dividends fall at slowest rate in a year April 26, 2021 UK dividends fell at their slowest rate in the first quarter in an encouraging sign the economy is starting to recover from the worst of the pandemic. Payouts fell 26.7 per cent to £12.7bn in the first quarter year-on-year, according to Link Group’s latest Dividend Monitor. Since the nearly 50 per cent drop in payments [...]
Broadband startup Cuckoo closes $6m funding round April 26, 2021 Broadband start-up Cuckoo has today closed a funding round worth of total of $6m as it continues its bid to disrupt the UK telecoms market. The round was led by RTP Global, early backers of Yandex, Delivery Hero, and Datadog. One in five of RTP’s investments are now unicorns, the firm said. Other investors include [...]
New lender Blazehill Capital to target mid-sized businesses April 26, 2021 A new lender focused on providing funding for the UK’s mid-market businesses has today launched. Blazehill Capital, which offers firms secured lending ranging from £5m to £30m per transaction, is looking to build a £1bn lending book in the next five years. The lender is backed by a number of investors, including New York asset [...]
Uefa boss: English clubs will be sanctioned for European Super League involvement April 25, 2021 Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and three other English football clubs will be sanctioned for their involvement in the failed European Super League project, Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed. Ceferin told the Mail on Sunday that the three London clubs along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City will face consequences for joining the breakaway league [...]
