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 [...]
Coronavirus: How one FTSE 250 firm is keeping staff on board April 7, 2020 The destruction caused by the Covid-19 outbreak is difficult to comprehend, robbing people of their lives and livelihoods without mercy. Our NHS, charities, large businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs have all been hit hard, with the elderly and vulnerable hit the hardest. I’ve been in business for 40 years now. Together we’ve survived the tornado of [...]
Wirex achieves profitability by maintaining 3 million registered customers in 130 countries April 7, 2020 As the sun shines down on the deserted great City of London and the presses stay silent during this unprecedented lockdown with the NHS diligently fighting COVID-19, the crypto markets remain open demonstrating that the digital economy will play a vital role going forward. It strikes me that if we had had a Central Bank [...]
