Savills profits swell eight-fold, reaping rewards of a UK house buying frenzy August 5, 2021 Real estate services group Savills has seen its profit before tax surge more than eight-fold in the past six months, as the firm posted record levels of UK residential transaction advisory. The firm raked in revenue of £932.6m in the six months to 30 June, up by some £141.2m in comparison to last year. Meanwhile, [...]
Brickability post strong results despite year-on-year fall in revenue and profit August 5, 2021 Brickability have seen a slight fall in year-on-year revenue as the company’s accounts were hit by early year trading restrictions. The concrete block and brick manufacturer saw a 3.2 per cent fall in its revenue from £187.1m in 2020 to £181.1m in 2021. Restrictions brought on the pandemic are thought to be the reason behind [...]
Commodity price surge: Glencore shareholders spy £2bn payday August 5, 2021 Glencore’s shareholders are looking at an around £2bn payday this year after commodity price surges hoisted the mining giant to a record performance in the past six months. Revenue hit £67.4bn in the first half of the year, up by some £16.3bn in comparison with the first half of 2020. The London-listed mining and trading [...]
KPMG fined £13m over Silentnight sale misconduct August 5, 2021 The accounting firm has been fined and ordered to pay over £2.75m in costs, for serious misconduct in its role in the 2011 sale of bed retailer Silentnight to a private equity group. An independent tribunal found that KPMG and one of its partners did not comply with the UK professional accounting principles of objectivity [...]
Test & Trace provider Serco sees profit rises 58 per cent August 5, 2021 Outsourcing company Serco Group saw a 58 per cent jump in profit following a strong first-half, the Test & Trace provider told the market this morning Revenue for the business rose to £2.2bn in the six months ending June 30, which grew 19 per cent over the last period. Underlying trading profit for the first-half [...]
How a combination of skilled people and AI will shape tech and telecoms August 5, 2021 Machines will undertake more tasks than humans by 2025, compared to 71 per cent being performed by humans in 2018. Although this finding, from the World Economic Forum, might seem scary, the good news is that the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) could create 58 million ‘net’ new jobs. But if you’re in the tech [...]
Rolls-Royce swings back to profit despite slow international travel recovery August 5, 2021 Engine maker Rolls-Royce reported an operating profit of £307m in the first half of 2021, marking a significant improvement from the £1.6bn in losses a year ago. The group said international travel would bounce back once restrictions are lifted, but warned recovery is “likely to occur beyond the initial expected timeframe of 2022.” Shares had [...]
CMA accuses pharma firms Pfizer and Flynn of charging NHS illegal prices for anti-epilepsy drug August 5, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has accused pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Flynn of breaking competition law and overcharging the NHS for crucial anti-epilepsy drugs, in a new re-investigation following a years-long battle with the companies. Pfizer and Flynn “abused their dominant positions” and charged the NHS “unfairly high prices” for life-saving phenytoin sodium capsules, for which they [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Women’s 4x100m relay team break British record as Asher-Smith returns to track August 5, 2021 Dina Asher-Smith returned as Team GB’s women set a new British record to reach the 4x100m final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Asher-Smith, who last week was in tears after having to pull out of the 200m with a hamstring injury, recovered to produce an assured run in the third leg. In the men’s sprint [...]
Mike Ashley to hand reins of Sports Direct retail empire to future son-in-law August 5, 2021 The board of Frasers Group confirmed suspicions that CEO Mike Ashley will be replaced next year by his daughter’s fiancé, Michael Murray, in the group’s financial update. 31-year-old Murray is currently the firm’s “head of elevation” and has been in charge of modernise the owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser, as well as [...]
