Costain doubles dividend as pipeline jumps March 11, 2025 Costain has doubled its full-year dividend after reporting a record increase in forward work. On Tuesday, the London-listed construction firm said it would increase its dividend per share from 1.2p to 2.4p. Earnings per share also rose by nearly a fifth to 14.6p, up from 12.2p the year prior. It came as Costain’s forward work [...]
Dominos: Pizza chain announces new chair, higher sales and a dividend increase March 11, 2025 Dominos has announced a new Chair, set to take the role in April, as well as a slight dip in revenue, higher sales and a higher dividend. Sales Dominos Pizza Group, the UK-based subsidiary of Domino’s Pizza Inc, rose two per cent to £1,571.5m in the 52 weeks to December 29, from £1,540.5m last year. [...]
Persimmon: Housebuilder posts uptick in profit amid housing market recovery March 11, 2025 Housebuilder Persimmon has reported an uptick in house completions and profit after two years of steep declines. The York-based company completed 10,664 homes in the year ended December 31, up seven per cent year on year. Revenue from new housing rose £2.86bn from £2.54bn while underlying profit before tax rose 10 per cent to £395.1m. [...]
Kier Group shares tumble despite record orders March 11, 2025 Kier Group shares tumbled this morning despite the firm hiking dividends by a fifth and reporting a record £11bn order backlog. The London-listed group said it would pay investors an interim dividend of 2p, up 20 per cent from last year’s 1.67p. Kier Group’s record £11bn order book rose two per cent year-on-year and means [...]
Buy-to-let market ‘resilient’ despite fears of landlord exodus March 11, 2025 UK landlords are more optimistic than previously thought about buy-to-let as the market gears up to absorb economic and regulatory challenges, according to a new survey. A survey of 300 UK landlords has found that a third of landlords plan to expand their portfolios this year, while 43 per cent expect yields to improve. “It [...]
Confidence boost for UK shoppers fails to improve high street retail sales March 11, 2025 High street retail sales continued to fall in February despite a confidence boost for UK consumers, a survey has found. Overall, retail sales increased by 1.1 per cent in February, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).However, this was driven by food sales, which grew 2.3 per cent year-on-year. Non-food sales were flat in February, [...]
What’s in the government’s new planning reform bill? March 10, 2025 The government has promised to unleash the biggest building boom in a generation through its wide-ranging planning reform bill, which will head into parliament today. Drafted in response to a crisis which has seen a massive shortage of affordable housing, as well as rising house prices and rents to due undersupply, the bill intends to [...]
Heathrow: Business travel groups join calls for change March 10, 2025 Representatives of the business travel and global tourism industry have joined calls for Heathrow Airport to alter its regulatory model ahead of any expansion. The Business Travel Association (BTA), The Advantage Travel Partnership and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on Monday announced their support for change at the UK’s busiest hub, adding to a [...]
The Editor’s Interview: Should the Tories be afraid of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK? March 10, 2025 In this episode, we see top Tory Andrew Griffth MP grilled by City AM Editor Christian May on the threat posed to the Conservatives by Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Households close to pylons to get £250 off annual energy bills March 10, 2025 Households situated near new pylons will receive hundreds of pounds off their annual energy bills as part of a government overhaul of the UK’s planning system. Proposals laid out this week will see residents within half a kilometre of new or upgraded electricty systems gain access to a bill discount scheme allowing them £2,500 off [...]