M&S raises dividend after profit surge – despite cyber hit May 21, 2025 Marks and Spencer has boosted its dividend after reporting profit at a 15-year high, despite the significant impact of its ongoing attack. M&S told investors it would raise its yearly dividend by 20 per cent to 3.6p this year. The dividend boost came after the high street darling told markets that profit before tax and [...]
Exclusive: Oberon AIM VCT relaunches in search of small cap rebound May 21, 2025 Oberon is relaunching its AIM VCT led by a team of City veterans as the firm prepares for a swell in valuations for small cap stocks. In a strategic repositioning of the former New Century AIM VCT 2, the venture capital trust will relaunch with an aim to raise £5m, with an over-allotment facility of [...]
Uber unveils tie-up with Eurostar challenger May 21, 2025 Uber is planning a partnership deal with one of the firms seeking to oust Eurostar as the sole operator of the Channel Tunnel. Gemini Trains, spearheaded by the Labour peer Lord Berkeley, is one of several competitors looking to break Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly on cross-channel services. Passengers will be able to book tickets via the [...]
Charles Tyrwhitt to move London office HQ as profits climb May 21, 2025 British menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt is set to relocate its head office from London Bridge to Bankside in a drive to occupy higher-quality, more sustainable space. Charles Tyrwhitt will relocate its 240-strong head office team to The Forge on Bankside, a few minutes walk from the Tate Modern. Alongside Charles Tyrwhitt, new occupiers include advanced [...]
Londoners working from home could boost pension pot by £236,000 May 21, 2025 Commuters could save hundreds of thousands of pounds in their pension pots by working from home three days a week, a new study has found. Working from home for three days a week reduces the annual cost of commuting by as much as £2,000, which when put into a pension, could pay big boons in [...]
‘Banter ban’ debate rages in House of Lords May 20, 2025 A House of Lords debate on the details of the Employment Rights Bill sparked a row over ‘cancel culture’ on Monday after members took sides on a clause dubbed the “banter ban.” The debate hinged on the definition of “third party harassment” and on whether employers should face a legal duty to protect staff from [...]
Why are the Tories polling behind the Lib Dems? May 20, 2025 The Lib Dems have polled above the Conservatives for the first time, a new survey has found, dealing a blow to the so-called natural party of government. The new poll means the Conservatives have slumped to fourth place, a downgrade one party source said had “put a pit in my stomach” and could be “the [...]
Starmer and Badenoch face off over EU deal May 20, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his EU ‘reset’ deal in the House of Commons amid criticism from opposition MPs that the pact unpicks Brexit and sells out the fishing industry. Starmer told MPs that businesses’ reaction to the EU deal was so supportive that he didn’t “have time to run through the list” of [...]
British ports request £120m for ‘white elephant’ Brexit border posts May 20, 2025 British ports are demanding £120m in compensation after being forced to invest millions in post-Brexit border control posts rendered “obsolete” by Keir Starmer’s new EU deal. Monday’s UK-EU trade deal committed to removing border checks on plant, animal and food imports from the EU member states. The deal was welcomed by the port industry, but [...]
Analysts look to follow-on funding for London Stock Exchange IPO revival May 20, 2025 Amid a dearth of London Stock Exchange IPOs there’s one area where the UK is leading Europe, so-called secondary or follow-on fundraising. In 2024, London’s stock exchange fell to 35th in the world for money raised from IPOs, bringing in $576.7m (£459m), just 0.53 per cent of the global market. However, when including follow-on fundraising, the [...]