Take ‘golden share’ in British defence firms to block foreign takeovers, urge MPs August 4, 2021 MPs on the influential defence select committee have urged the government to acquire “golden shares” in firms integral to upholding UK national security. The move would enable the UK government to prevent British businesses critical to maintaining national security from falling into the hands of foreign purchasers, committee members said. Read more: Meggitt shares keep [...]
Rolls-Royce finally gets Norwegian unit sale across the line with £54m Langley deal August 4, 2021 FTSE blue-chip Rolls-Royce has agreed to sell Bergen Engines, its Norwegian maritime engine manufacturing arm, to UK engineering group Langley Holdings with a new price tag of €63m (£53.6m). Rolls-Royce will retain €110m (£93.6m) from the sale – €70m from the transaction in addition to €40m Bergen currently holds in cash. This is in line [...]
Eurozone retail sales rise above pre-Covid levels to record high August 4, 2021 Eurozone retail sales surged past pre-Covid levels in June to reach a record high, according to new figures published today. Retails sales in the 19 countries that make up the area jumped 1.5 per cent over the last month, driven by consumers returning to high streets, restaurants and bars, although at a slower pace than [...]
Barbie doll created of Oxford Covid vaccine designer Dame Sarah Gilbert August 4, 2021 Barbie maker Mattel has created a doll in honour of Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, the scientist who designed the Oxford-Astrazeneca Covid vaccine. After a standing ovation at Wimbledon and being made a dame, Gilbert now has the Barbie doll to recognise her efforts in creating a life-saving jab. The vaccinologist said she initially found the [...]
Ethereum prepares for upgrade as Cardano takes lead August 4, 2021 Bitcoin is currently trading at around $38,000 after seeing a 10% correction from its 1 Aug peak of $42,500. It’s currently down about 1.5% over the past 24 hours and changing hands for around $37,750. There’s significant support at $37,500, but if this fails to hold today then we may see a further slip to [...]
Morgan Sindall revenue substantially ahead of pre-pandemic levels August 4, 2021 Construction group Morgan Sindall has reported it is trading substantially ahead of pre-pandemic levels. In a half-year trading update, the group said revenue was up 10 per cent and adjusted profit before tax up 46 per cent on the same period in 2019. Revenue for the six months to 30 June 2021 rose 14 per [...]
It’s time to have a conversation about disability in business August 4, 2021 Ronnie Jamieson CA discusses what it means to be “diffabled” in the corporate world and how he hopes to show people with disabilities that there is more help than they might expect. Ronnie Jamieson, a financial accountant at Martin Currie Investment Management, was born and raised in Falkirk to a stay-at-home mum and a schoolteacher [...]
PMI: Eurozone business activity soars to 15-year high August 4, 2021 The rapid rollout of Covid vaccines across Europe is fuelling consumer spending, helping to propel business activity in the Eurozone to a 15-year high, according to a closely watched survey released today. IHS Markit’s latest Eurozone purchasing managers’ composite output index rose to 60.2 in July, driven by an acceleration in manufacturing growth and strong [...]
Lyft announce first profit figure three months ahead of target August 4, 2021 Californian Uber-challenger Lyft saw shares rise six per cent on Tuesday after announcing the first time quarterly profit in the firm’s nine-year history. Three months ahead of target, the company said EBITDA profit hit $23.8m (£17.2m) in the most recent quarter as rider numbers rebound after the pandemic. Lyft has branched out in tandem with [...]
L&G and NatWest to build green retirement homes in £500m joint venture August 4, 2021 Legal & General and NatWest Pension Trustee Limited (NWPTL) have announced a 15-year joint venture to deliver 5,100 zero carbon retirement homes. The £500 million deal will support Inspired Villages, L&G’s later living business, to create a portfolio of specialist, later-living properties across 34 sites with an estimated Gross Development Value of £4bn. Robert Waugh, [...]
