UK bolsters vaccine manufacturing capacity with Wockhardt deal August 3, 2020 The government has today taken further steps to bolster its vaccine manufacturing capacity by striking a deal with Indian pharma giant Wockhardt. Under the 18-month long agreement, the Mumbai-listed firm will carry out the ‘fill and finish’ stage of the manufacturing process, which involves dispensing the manufactured vaccine substance into vials ready for it to [...]
Estate agent Purplebricks reports record-breaking July instructions August 3, 2020 Estate agent Purplebricks recorded its highest ever month for instructions in the UK in July due to the stamp duty holiday and pent-up demand following the coronavirus lockdown. Shares in the company jumped 4.59 per cent this morning after it announced that it listed a record-breaking 7,000 homes in July. The figures Purplebricks this morning [...]
Tui bolsters finances with $226m sale and leaseback deal for 737s August 3, 2020 Package holiday firm Tui has agreed a sale and leaseback for five new Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft with BOC Aviation Ltd, which will raise $226m (£173m) for its finances. The firm said that the deal was part of its “asset right” strategy, which will see it sell existing assets to finance the purchase of new [...]
Non-Standard Finance shares plunge 26 per cent as FCA raises concerns August 3, 2020 Shares in sub-prime lender Non-Standard Finance (NSF) have plunged 26 per cent after the UK’s financial watchdog raised concerns about its guarantor loans division, causing the firm to put a share issue on hold. Non-Standard Finance said in a statement today that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had “raised a number of concerns regarding certain [...]
Zoom suspends China sales in partial market retraction August 3, 2020 Zoom is to stop selling new or upgraded products directly to customers in China, as it transitions towards a partner-only model in the region. Local Zoom customers were told today that a selection of third-party suppliers will now handle Zoom sales and some operations in China, listing a number of authorised partners that will now [...]
Metro Bank agrees £12m deal for Ratesetter in lending push August 3, 2020 Metro Bank will snap up peer-to-peer lender Ratesetter after agreeing a £12m sale it hopes will push it into more profitable banking avenues. The challenger bank will pay an initial £2.5m, it said today, and another £9.5m over the three years following the completion of the deal, based on performance criteria. Daniel Frumkin, Metro Bank’s [...]
Working from home costs London hospitality sector £2.3bn, economists say August 3, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has caused £2.3bn of spending to be lost or displaced in shops, pubs and cafes near London employment hubs, according to new analysis by a think tank. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) also estimated that the capital will lose out on roughly £178m a month of spending compared to [...]
Ince Group sees revenue jump 87 per cent but just misses £100m target August 3, 2020 Legal and financial services firm Ince Group continued its rapid growth this year, with revenue increasing 87 per cent despite disruption from the coronavirus pandemic. Although the firm narrowly missed its target of £100m in revenue, the firm said its underlying business had proved “resilient” in the face of the pandemic. Shares in the firm [...]
Hammerson pins hopes on ‘£800m’ raise to survive crisis August 3, 2020 Retail landlord Hammerson is considering tapping investors for up to £600m in a bid to shore up its finances during the coronavirus crisis. Hammerson, which owns Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre and Brent Cross in north London, also confirmed that it is in advanced talks to sell its 50 per cent stake in Via Outlets to [...]
Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume dies aged 83 August 3, 2020 Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Irish politician John Hume has died aged 83. He passed away in Londonderry early this morning, following a short illness and ending a years-long battle with dementia. One of Ireland’s most well-known politicians in the second-half of the twentieth century, Hume was leader of the SDLP between 1979 and [...]
