UK lost 6,000 store fronts due to covid and ‘crippling’ business rates July 28, 2023 Britain has lost 6,000 storefronts in five years amid Covid and cost-of-living pressures and “crippling” business rates, according to figures. The overall vacancy rate increased to 13.9 per cent across Britain in the second quarter of this year, a 0.1 percentage point drop on the first quarter but 0.1 points up on the same period [...]
British Airways’ owner IAG commits to investing record profit of £1.1bn July 28, 2023 The parent company of British Airways made a record operating profit between January and June, it has announced. International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) said its operating profit in the first half of 2023 reached 1.3 billion euros (£1.1 billion), up from a loss of 446 million euros (£383 million) in the same period last year. [...]
Standard Chartered announces $1bn buyback scheme after profits soar on rising rates July 28, 2023 Standard Chartered announced a further $1bn (£780m) share buyback after recording better than expected results in the second quarter on the back of rising interest rates. Pretax profit at the bank climbed 18 per cent to $1.5bn, higher than the $1.4bn predicted by analysts. This came thanks to a 29 per cent increase in net [...]
Rising mortgage rates sends demand for homes down 18 per cent, new data shows July 28, 2023 Rising mortgage rates has reduced demand for homes by 18 per cent, Zoopla’s latest House Price Index revealed today. This weaker demand, coupled with rising supply, saw UK house price growth shrink to 0.6 per cent for June, down from 9.6 per cent for the same month last year. The estate agent said it expects [...]
Weird Barbie should provide some unlikely inspiration for the Bank of England July 28, 2023 Weird Barbie would break up the groupthink of the Bank of England economists.
Can the supermarkets ever overcome accusations of profiteering? July 28, 2023 Food producers are unwilling to pass on price drops as they battle oscillating and chaotic costs for supplies that they have little control over.
Brits love takeaways, but if they also love the planet, they should do away with plastic packaging July 28, 2023 Takeaways are a great staple of life in the UK, but present one challenge: the amount of plastic used to transport them. Politicians and businesses can do more to challenge this status quo, writes Jaz Rabadia
FTSE 100 close: British Gas owner propels to top of London index after record profit July 27, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 bumped higher today after a manic morning of company earnings gave a lift to market sentiment. The capital’s premier index added 0.21 per cent to reach 7,692.77 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 0.45 per cent to 19,273.37 points. [...]
Nationwide and TSB join HSBC in reducing rates on mortgage deals July 27, 2023 Nationwide and TSB joined HSBC in reducing rates on a range of mortgage products today, as rates on mortgages continued to come down after last week’s inflation reading. Nationwide announced that it would be reducing fixed rates by up to 0.35 per cent while it would reduce rates available on its tracker products by 0.2 [...]
Samsung profits tank 95 per cent as chip demand dwindles July 27, 2023 Samsung experienced a 95 per cent plunge in profit during their second quarter, causing shares to drop over three per cent on Thursday. The Korean electronics company reported an operating profit of 670bn Korean won (£407m) for the three months ending 30 June, its lowest in 14 years, and significantly down from the 14.1t (£8.5bn) [...]