BP sells stake in giant Omani gas project for $2.6bn February 1, 2021 BP has this morning sold a 20 per cent stake in a giant gas field in central Oman to Thailand’s national oil company for $2.6bn (£1.9bn). The oil giant will remain the operator of Block 61, the largest “tight gas” development in the Middle East, with a 40 per cent stake. It said that it [...]
TSB reports losses as pandemic prompts lending surge February 1, 2021 TSB’s full-year financial performance was dented by the coronavirus pandemic as lending rose sharply, the bank announced today. Statutory loss before tax was £204.6m in 2020, compared to a £46m profit in 2019. The losses largely reflects the adoption of government measures in response to Covid-19, as well as unemployment rates and reduced customer spending. [...]
Asos buys Arcadia’s Topshop and Miss Selfridge in £330m deal, leaving thousands jobless February 1, 2021 Arcadia’s Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands have been sold to online retailer Asos in a £330m deal. Arcadia’s administrator Deloitte this morning confirmed Asos would buy the brands for £295m, and would also take on certain liabilities for forward committed stock orders. Asos paid around £265m for the brands, some £30m for the [...]
Digital 9 Infrastructure set for £400m London listing February 1, 2021 Digital 9 Infrastructure, an investment trust, today announced that it was launching a £400m London initial public offering (IPO). The trust, which is newly established, will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets, including subsea fibre, data centres, terrestrial fibre, tower infrastructure and small cell networks. It will be externally managed by Triple Point [...]
JD Sports buys American sportswear brand DTLR Villa February 1, 2021 JD Sports will buy American sportswear brand DTLR Villa, in a deal worth $495m. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, and currently majority owned by BRS & Co. and Goode Capital, DTLR was established in 1982 and is an athletic footwear and apparel streetwear retailer. Originally named Downtown Locker Room, the company later re-branded as DTLR and, [...]
Renewables firm Next Energy set for London IPO February 1, 2021 Renewables firm Next Energy has this morning announced that it will list on London’s main market. The company is seeking to raise £300m at an issue price of £1 per share. Founded in 2007, the investment company has around $2.3 in assets under management around the world. It invests both in established renewable energy sources [...]
City watchdog to crack down on ‘buy now pay later’ firms February 1, 2021 The City watchdog is preparing to move in on so-called buy now pay later firms such as Klarna following a review of the unsecured credit market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will this morning publish a report by interim chief executive Chris Woolard recommending that the sector be brought under the regulator’s remit, Sky News [...]
Government should rethink rates holiday as economy kicks back into life February 1, 2021 John Webber is Head of Business Rates at Colliers International News that John Lewis is under pressure to hand back millions of pounds in business rates relief received in this year’s retail rates holiday shows that the Government must re-think the way it uses the rates system to hand out support to businesses.. Last year [...]
Cost of lost schooling could amount to £350bn in lost earnings February 1, 2021 The Prime Minister this week set out plans to keep children home for even longer and the cost of lost schooling is set to reach hundreds of billions in the long run. Research from the IFS has shown that early evidence is already suggesting that the loss of learning is contributing to educational progress and [...]
CBI calls for government to consult business more widely to draw up lockdown exit plan February 1, 2021 One of the UK’s mot influential business bodies has called on the government to reach out to the country’s private sector for advice on how to reopen the economy post-lockdown. The CBI has written to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to ask the government to outline six elements when drawing up its lockdown exit strategy, including [...]
