United Utilities: Profit rises significantly as water bills hiked May 15, 2025 Profit at United Utilities jumped significantly ahead of the FTSE 100 giant hiking water bills for its more than seven million customers, it has been revealed. The Warrington-headquartered firm, which serves customers in the North West of England, has also proposed an increase to its final dividend of 4.2 per cent to 34.6p. The company [...]
Premier Foods: Mr Kipling maker ups dividend on strong growth May 15, 2025 Revenue at Premier Foods jumped last year, driven by growth in branded goods and international sales. The Mr Kipling owner told markets this morning that adjusted profit before tax rose 8.8 per cent to £169.3m in the year ended March 29. Profit after tax rose 11 per cent, with basic earnings per share up 10 [...]
National Grid profit jumps by a fifth despite record investment May 15, 2025 National Grid’s annual profits rose by a fifth as it lauded stable growth against a backdrop of “international economic uncertainty.” On an underlying basis, pre-tax profit increased 20 per cent to £3.7bn over the 12 months ended 31 March. Earnings per share rose two per cent to 73.3p, ahead of previous guidance. National Grid announced [...]
Watches of Switzerland: US sales drive return to growth May 15, 2025 Rolex and Patek Philppe-seller Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) has returned to growth, driven by a double-digit sales rise in the US. The luxury watch seller told markets this morning that full year Group revenue reached £1.6bn in the year ended April 27, up eight per cent year on year and in line with market [...]
Aviva: Direct Line buyout ‘firmly on track’ despite CMA investigation May 15, 2025 Aviva expects its £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line to be completed by the middle of this year despite a new investigation by the competition watchdog into the deal. In a trading update, the insurance giant’s CEO, Amanda Blanc, said the acquisition was “firmly on track,” and cash to pay for the takeover had been ring-fenced. Yesterday, the Competition [...]
Burberry ‘optimal opportunity for investors’ as turnaround gains steam May 15, 2025 Analysts have labelled Burberry’s share ‘undervalued’ as the brand’s plan to turn its back on a rocky year gains steam. The FTSE 250 firm reported a major improvement in half-yearly sales on May 14 – although it wasn’t quite enough to stop the company falling into an operating loss for the financial year. Sales fell [...]
UK has one Europe’s biggest nanny states May 15, 2025 The UK has one of the biggest nanny states in Europe, a new study has found. The report from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the European Policy Information Centre, titled the Nanny State Index 2025, said that the UK has the 7th biggest nanny state in Europe. Edited by Dr Christopher Snowdon, head [...]
British execs still fly to US despite Trump turmoil, data suggests May 14, 2025 Business travel across the pond has increased this year despite concern over policy developments under President Trump, data suggests. Data from the travel tech firm Navan, shared with City AM, shows year-to-date bookings for UK-US corporate trips have risen by nearly a quarter year-on-year. There were 8,000 corporate trips from the UK to the US [...]
Starmer: Unemployment jump not caused by my government May 14, 2025 The Prime Minister has denied the 10 per cent rise in unemployment since last year’s election is the fault of his government, arguing that the recently struck trade deals with India and the United States will boost jobs and the UK economy. During a fiery exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer accused Kemi Badenoch [...]
Landmark Canary Wharf building given the green light May 14, 2025 Plans to construct a new landmark building in London’s Canary Wharf have been given the green light. Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has secured planning permission to build a 46-story student accommodation building in the Wood Wharf neighbourhood. The development at 7 Brannan Street will contain 912 bedrooms, increasing Canary Wharf’s current population of 3,500 students [...]
