Coronavirus: National Grid suffers ‘delays and disruptions’ to capital programme April 2, 2020 Shares in National Grid are down almost five per cent this morning, after it said it was experiencing delays and disruption to its capital works programme. The FTSE 100 company said today that it expected its 2019-20 results to be in line with pre-Covid-19 expectations and that the virus would not have a “material impact” [...]
Coronavirus: Hotel Chocolat scraps dividend after £20m share placing April 2, 2020 Hotel Chocolat is the latest company to cancel its dividend in a bid to save cash during the coronavirus crisis. The high street chain said this morning that it has scrapped the proposed interim dividend, which was due to be paid to shareholders on 15 April, after raising an extra £20m through a share placing [...]
Coronavirus: Reports County Championship Cricket season could be cancelled April 2, 2020 Cricket’s entire County Championship season could be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, reports emerged last night. The Daily Telegraph reports that with the start of the already congested season delayed until at least the end of May, priority is being given to international and domestic T-20 cricket as opposed to the longer form of [...]
Bunzl cancels final dividend amid coronavirus slowdown April 2, 2020 UK distribution firm Bunzl has said it will not propose a final dividend for 2019 as it adjusts to a market heavily disrupted by coronavirus, sending its shares lower in morning trading. The firm said “it intends to consider the appropriateness, quantum and timing of an additional interim dividend payment” for 2019 when some clarity [...]
British Gas owner Centrica kills dividend and delays Spirit Energy sale April 2, 2020 British Gas owner Centrica has abandoned 2020 guidance as it cancelled its 2019 dividend today and warned it would take at least a £100m hit from coronavirus. Centrica’s shares dived 7.3 per cent to a record low in early trading as it warned the fallout of an oil price war and the coronavirus lockdown would [...]
Oil prices jump as Donald Trump hints at imminent Russia-Saudi Arabia deal April 2, 2020 Global oil prices climbed off the floor of 18-year lows this morning after US president Donald Trump said he expected Saudi Arabia and Russia to reach an agreement soon to put an end to their price war. The combination of a production war and a slump in global demand due to widespread lockdowns caused by [...]
M&C Saatchi scraps dividend and cuts salaries due to coronavirus April 2, 2020 M&C Saatchi today said it has scrapped its 2019 dividend and cut salaries for senior staff members as the advertising agency battles a downturn sparked by coronavirus. The firm said a “very high proportion” of its top paid staff would take pay cuts, with board members and senior management committing to a 20 per cent [...]
Coronavirus: Hays shares slide after £200m issuance announcement April 2, 2020 Shares in global recruitment firm Hays have tumbled after it announced it will issue £200m of shares in an emergency move to help it shore up its balance sheet during the coronavirus pandemic. Hays said in a trading update this morning that “Covid-19 has driven a very material deceleration in client and candidate activity”. It [...]
Coronavirus: Could the crisis accelerate the need for ESG communications? April 2, 2020 As Britain digests daily press conferences about Covid-19, the words and actions of business leaders are starting to come under increased scrutiny. As small businesses across the country seek banking loans to stay afloat and employees face being furloughed or even made redundant – what leaders do today and how they communicate will have a [...]
