Coronavirus: Holland & Barrett under pressure to close stores April 8, 2020 Health food shop Holland & Barrett is facing pressure to close its stores due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Holland & Barrett has been allowed to stay open as an essential retailer during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. However, an online petition calling for the high street chain to shut its stores has received [...]
Coronavirus: A traffic light loosening gives the economy hope April 8, 2020 The strategy of exiting from the lockdown is far too important to be left in the hands of health professionals. The government’s advisors have played very valuable roles in helping to avert the sort of crisis which overwhelmed the health services in Northern Italy. Many who were seriously ill with the virus died unnecessarily because [...]
Lufthansa to close budget carrier Germanwings as coronavirus forces overhaul April 8, 2020 Lufthansa will close its low-cost subsidiary Germanwings as the flag carrier seeks to overhaul its business in response to the coronavirus crisis. The move came as the airline warned that it could take years for the airline industry to get back to pre-coronavirus levels of service. In a statement, Lufthansa said: “It will take months [...]
Asos shares jump after it raises £247m to beat coronavirus April 8, 2020 Fast fashion retailer Asos’ shares shot up today after raising £247m to strengthen its financial position amid the coronavirus crisis. The online retailer announced the fundraise last night as it warned of a “prolonged downturn” due to the outbreak. It said it has placed 15.8m new shares at a price of 1,560p per share. That [...]
Shakespeare: The pandemic is changing the retail market, even online April 8, 2020 Lockdown has created a difficult situation for retailers of goods that are deemed ‘non-essential’ as brands try to adhere to social distancing guidelines for employees while balancing the need to continue trading. Some Brits have taken to social media to argue that ordering non-essential items online creates unnecessary risks for warehouse employees. But encouragingly for [...]
Easyjet accused of spending £600m of taxpayer money on Airbus deal April 8, 2020 Easyjet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has once again lashed out at the firm, saying the carrier’s receipt of £600m in loans from the government “could be the biggest scandal in British corporate history”. The Greek-Cypriot businessman has pressured Easyjet’s board to scrap a £4.5bn order for 107 new planes from Airbus. Haji-Ioannou believes cancelling the [...]
Robert Walters blames ‘savage’ coronavirus for UK profit hit April 8, 2020 Recruiter Robert Walters has bemoaned the “savage” economic impact of coronavirus as UK fee income slumped 29 per cent over the first quarter of 2020. The recruitment agency is seen as an economic bellwether and took a hit from Brexit uncertainty and the lead-up to December’s General Election in 2019. “It’s largely a hangover from [...]
Insurance: Hiscox, Aviva, RSA and Direct Line suspend dividends following Bank of England pressure April 8, 2020 Insurance companies Hiscox, RSA, Aviva and Direct Line have this morning announced the suspension of their dividends after regulatory pressure from the Bank of England. Sam Woods, deputy governor of the Bank’s Prudential Regulatory Authority wrote to chief executives of major insurers on 31 March asking them to “pay close attention to the need to [...]
Coronavirus: The pandemic could change the sport and leisure sector for good April 8, 2020 Long ago, back in January 2020, people made new year’s resolutions about going to the gym more… which they might have been achieving, until a global pandemic came along. The decision to shut down UK gyms and leisure centres in March would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. The industry had never looked [...]
Six tips for better behavioural investing April 8, 2020 At a turbulent time for global markets, Nick Kirrage, Co-Head of the Value Team, recently sat down with the Investor Download podcast. We discussed the current state of financial markets, reflected on the behaviour of investors and how they might best navigate the current turmoil. Below are six key points. Listen to the Investor Download. [...]
