AI avatar of CEO delivers annual results in first for London Stock Exchange May 7, 2025 The AI avatar of an AIM-listed firm’s chief executive has delivered the company’s full-year results in a first for the London Stock Exchange. CT Automotive boss Simon Philips outlined the car interior firm’s higher profit, alongside the impact of recent US tariffs, in a short interview on RNS on Wednesday. But the video of Philips [...]
UK edges closer to US trade deal for cars and steel May 7, 2025 The UK is coming close to agreeing a trade deal with the US that would see president Donald Trump’s tariffs on motor and steel exports slashed, according to reports. The additional 25 per cent tariffs that Trump instituted on steel and car imports earlier this year are expected to be reduced in a deal later [...]
Orsted axes Hornsea 4 offshore wind project May 7, 2025 Ørsted has announced plans to ditch the Hornsea 4 offshore wind project in a big blow to the UK’s clean power ambitions. The Danish renewable energy company said it would incur break-away costs of between 3.5bn to 4.5bn Danish krone (£400m to £512m) as a result of the decision. Ørsted said the 2,400MW project had [...]
JD Wetherspoon sales jump despite continued pub sell-off May 7, 2025 Sales at JD Wetherspoon jumped five per cent over the last quarter as the pub giant continued to sell more locations. The pub giant has sold off seven of its pubs since the start of the year, despite opening only two new ones, it said in a trading update today. It said it expected to [...]
Billionaire Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes moves on Berkshire Hathaway aspirations May 6, 2025 FTSE 100 trust Pershing Square has made further steps towards billionaire manager Bill Ackman’s aspiration to emulate Berkshire Hathaway by building a diversified holding company. Pershing Square Capital Management, which runs the investment trust, has made a further $900m investment into property company Howard Hughes, bringing Ackman’s stake in the firm to 46.9 per cent. [...]
Winter fuel payment U-turn not enough to win back support, Labour MPs say May 6, 2025 The government is under increasing pressure from its backbenchers to reverse winter fuel cuts amid warnings that even a U-turn would not go far enough to restore trust with voters. There is talk that senior government officials are reconsidering government’s earlier decision to restrict winter fuel payments to pensioners who qualify for income-related benefits, which [...]
UK-India trade deal ‘transformational’ for Scotch whisky market May 6, 2025 The newly-announced trade deal between the UK and India has been lauded as “transformational” in opening Scotch up to the world’s largest whiskey market. Under the terms of the deal, the UK’s 150 per cent tariff on Scotch Whisky will be halved to 75 per cent, with the potential for further reductions in the coming [...]
Terry Smith: Reeves must drop tax hikes to attract UK investment May 6, 2025 Star fund manager Terry Smith has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to cancel her tax hikes to make investment in the UK more attractive. Smith, who runs the £20bn Fundsmith Equity fund, argued that to boost the quality of UK companies the government should “reverse a lot of the policies that are in place with [...]
City of London elects new planning and transport committee chair May 6, 2025 The City of London Corporation has appointed Tom Sleigh as chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee, succeeding Shravan Joshi MBE. Joshi has taken on the role of the Committee’s deputy chair uncontested, replacing Graham Packham. Sleigh, who has represented the ward of Bishopsgate since 2013, said it was a “privilege to be elected… at [...]
London prime property sales resilient despite economic headwinds May 6, 2025 London’s prime property market has remained stable year on year despite significant headwinds, according to a major real estate firm. There were 93 sales above £5m in the first three months of the year, on par with the 92 in 2024, Savills found. Overall values also held up, with total values for houses between £10m [...]
