Easyjet founder threatens to sue bosses over Airbus contract April 7, 2020 Easyjet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has threatened to sue the company’s board as the spat over a £4.5bn order of planes from Airbus rumbles on. The Greek-Cypriot businessman told the Telegraph that if any of the £300m the airline has spent in the last three weeks has gone to Airbus, “I will sue the directors [...]
Who’s in charge if Prime Minister Boris Johnson is incapacitated? April 7, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to an intensive care unit last night as his condition deteriorated after testing positive for coronavirus over 10 days ago. The PM, who is being treated at St Thomas’ hospital in London, was transferred on Monday night as a precaution in case he needs a ventilator. In the short [...]
UK productivity shows weak growth before coronavirus hit April 7, 2020 UK productivity grew by 0.3 per cent year on year in the final quarter of 2019, official statistics have shown, marking relatively weak growth before coronavirus hit the economy. The figure was unchanged from the previous quarter but was an improvement from the previous four quarters of zero growth or contraction, the Office for National [...]
Coronavirus: Japan declares state of emergency April 7, 2020 Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency in capital Tokyo and six other major metropolitan areas in an attempt to fight new coronavirus cases. The measures, which will last a month, will cover around 44 per cent of Japan’s population. Speaking in parliament today, the Japanese premier said: “We have decided [...]
Cineworld shares soar as chain outlines coronavirus battle plan April 7, 2020 Shares in Cineworld have soared more than 40 per cent this morning after the cinema chain outlined its plans to survive the coronavirus outbreak. The group’s entire estate of 787 cinemas across 10 countries have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This morning the company announced its executive directors have postponed salary payments to [...]
Michael Gove says Boris Johnson is ‘not on a ventilator’ in intensive care April 7, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not been put on a ventilator but has received oxygen support as he remains in intensive care with coronavirus, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said. Johnson was placed in intensive care at around 7pm last night after his condition worsened. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab will be in charge while [...]
Lloyds staff complain their offices are not clean enough amid covid-19 crisis April 7, 2020 Lloyds Banking Group staff have reportedly complained their bank branches are not clean enough as the banking industry struggles with a rush of businesses looking for funding amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Telegraph cited a survey by trade union BTU which found 56 per cent of Lloyds staff not working from home thought their office [...]
Pharma giant GSK takes $250m stake in firm to develop coronavirus vaccine April 7, 2020 Pharmaceuticals giant Glaxosmithkline (GSK) has taken a $250m (£202.7m) stake in an American biotech company in a collaborative effort to make a vaccine for Covid-19. Vir Biotechnology, of which GSK now owns a 6 per cent stake, specialises in the treatment of severe infectious diseases, and is looking to develop an antibody treatment for the [...]
UK house prices face unpredictable blow from coronavirus after March rise April 7, 2020 UK house prices jumped in March, before the impact of the coronavirus lockdown was felt. House prices were up three per cent year on year. However, on a monthly basis, UK house prices were flat. The average UK house price was £240,384 last month, according to the latest Halifax research. However, the outbreak of coronavirus [...]
Private Equity: The Weight of the COVID-19 Crown April 7, 2020 Private equity (PE) often claims the financial crown of outperformance. But I am referring to that other, now infamous, Latin word for crown — corona — the shape of which lends its name to the current coronavirus pandemic. So how will it affect PE? Introduction PE investing is about absolute return, not outperformance, in my [...]
