Zara owner Inditex posts 70 per cent drop in net profit during pandemic March 10, 2021 Zara owner Inditex this morning posted a 70 per cent drop in net profit after a year of trading restrictions and weak demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The European retail giant said profit last year fell to €1.1bn, a steeper drop than anticipated, due to the impact of store closures during global Covid-19 lockdowns. Total [...]
FTSE 100 opens lower as inflation worries weigh March 10, 2021 The FTSE 100 opened lower this morning as market momentum slowed following a tech-fuelled rally on Wall Street last night and inflation worries weighed on investors. London’s blue-chip index dipped 0.21 per cent to 6,715 points shortly after markets opened. The domestically focused FTSE 250 was marginally down. It came on the back of a [...]
Monzo backer Passion Capital opens doors to retail investors March 10, 2021 One of the earliest backers of fintech favourite Monzo is opening its doors to crowd investors with the launch of its third fund. Passion Capital’s £45m fund will be open to any investors who self-certify as “high net worth” or “sophisticated” and are registered and qualified by the crowdfunding platform Seedrs. It will give retail [...]
Snapchat: Gen Z has what it takes to be at the forefront of a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ of tech March 10, 2021 Across England, parents are breathing a sigh of relief this week, as many students finally return to classrooms after months of disruption to their education. Indeed, the reopening of schools and colleges marks an important milestone for the country, as it moves to the next stage of recovery. There is no doubt that the last [...]
Disney boss Bob Iger linked to UK ambassador role as streaming service hits 100m users March 10, 2021 Disney last night said its Disney Plus streaming service has racked up 100m users, as speculation grows that outgoing boss Bob Iger could be named US ambassador to Britain. The US media giant said it had passed the milestone just 16 months after launching the platform. Netflix, which now has 200m users, took 10 years [...]
UK financial services sector shakes off Covid blows as vacancies surge March 10, 2021 Vacancies in the financial services sector are well on their way to recovery after a sharp slump at the start of the pandemic, according to new APSCo data. Research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) showed hiring fell 58 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 as Covid battered employment prospects. However, numbers [...]
Financial services’ annual reports across the Atlantic chart path to optimistic Covid recovery March 10, 2021 Britain’s economy entered crisis mode in March last year and plotting a course toward recovery dominated the recent budget. But there is reason for optimism, and the conclusion of the annual reporting cycles for the leading financial institutions in the UK and the US can tell us a lot about where we will see growth [...]
Just Eat Takeaway forecasts order growth after bumper year March 10, 2021 Just Eat Takeaway today said it expected further growth in orders in 2021 after the pandemic helped drive a sharp rise in revenue for the year. The food delivery group hailed an “exceptional” 2020 after posting revenue of €2.4bn (£2bn), up 54 per cent from €1.6bn in the previous 12 months. The company said it [...]
Legal & General confident in long-term goals despite 2020 profit dip March 10, 2021 Legal & General today reported a drop in full year profits but the firm said it remained on course to meet its five-year ambitions. The London-based asset manager said operating profit fell three per cent to £2.2bn, while pre-tax profit was down 12 per cent to £1.6bn. The company said the drop reflected the impact [...]
Adidas returns to growth but warns of Reebok sale costs March 10, 2021 Adidas today reported a return to sales growth in the final quarter of the year, but warned of a hit to profit caused by its decision to divest the Reebok brand. The German sports giant reported sales growth of one per cent on a currency-neutral basis in the fourth quarter to €5.5bn (£3.9bn). This came [...]