Plus500 raises outlook as coronavirus panic sends traders into a frenzy March 16, 2020 Plus500 is one of the few winners from the coronavirus outbreak as it raised its outlook after a boom in trading activity. Last week the FTSE 100 suffered its biggest one-day fall since the 1987 crash after President Donald Trump imposed a travel ban on Europe. The spreadbetting firm said it “has continued to see [...]
H&M closes hundreds of stores as Europe battles coronavirus spread March 16, 2020 H&M’s share price dropped this morning after it announced it has shuttered hundreds stores across Europe as coronavirus continues to spread across the continent. The Swedish retailer’s share price fell more than 11 per cent this morning as it warned that sales had been affected this month due to the outbreak. The group has temporarily [...]
Blithe Spirit at Duke of York’s Theatre review: Jennifer Saunders shines in this playful ghost story March 16, 2020 Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit is a merry supernatural farce, which the old boy hurriedly knocked off as a distraction from the beastly inconvenience of the Blitz. It seems appropriate that it should manifest again now, as the country stockpiles toilet paper and prepares to baton down the hatches, not against the menace of the Luftwaffe, [...]
Primark owner shares halted after virus sales warning March 16, 2020 Shares in Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) were suspended for an hour this morning after the firm warned store closures would hit sales. The retail conglomerate’s shares were halted after falling sharply, which the London Stock Exchange said was due to an erroneous trade. Shares were down roughly 12.5 per cent when trading was [...]
IOC bosses to hold series of crunch meetings about Tokyo Olympics March 16, 2020 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is holding talks tomorrow with the heads of international sport organisations to discuss its response to the coronavirus pandemic. It will come alongside a meeting of IOC’s executive board, which will discuss its internal response and the future of this year’s planned Tokyo games. A decision on whether to go [...]
Andrew Bailey: Bank of England will take ‘prompt action’ over coronavirus if needed March 16, 2020 New Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has pledged to take more “prompt action” when needed to tackle the economic fallout from coronavirus, raising the prospect of another interest rate cut. Speaking for the first time as governor after replacing Mark Carney today, Bailey emphasised in a BBC interview the “strong coordination among central bank” [...]
O2 pairs up with Disney Plus to be its UK mobile network distributor March 16, 2020 O2 has agreed a deal with Disney to be the exclusive mobile network distributor for Disney Plus, a week ahead of its launch. New and upgrading pay monthly customers will be able to get six months of Disney Plus, on O2. Mark Evans, CEO of O2, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Disney to bring [...]
LSL abandons Countrywide merger amid coronavirus concerns March 16, 2020 LSL Property Services has pulled out of a potential £500m merger with Countrywide, terminating a deal that would have created the UK’s biggest estate agent, amid market uncertainty due to the outbreak of coronavirus. LSL, which owns Your Move and upmarket chain Marsh & Parsons, did not give a reason for its decision this morning, [...]
Coronavirus: TfL set to lose £500m from decline in passengers March 16, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) is expecting to lose up to £500m from the impact of coronavirus and will ask the government for financial support. In the past week, passenger numbers on the Tube were down by 19 per cent year-on-year, while bus passenger numbers fell by 10 per cent. The transport body said the figures [...]
Sign of the times: Tinned gin in and fruit pies out of UK inflation basket March 16, 2020 Self-tanning products, gin in a tin, reusable mugs and gluten-free cereals have been added to the basket of goods used to calculate inflation as Brits go eco-friendly and health-conscious. Meanwhile, frozen imported legs of lamb, fruit pies and frozen chicken breasts have been chucked in the bin to better reflect consumers’ changing tastes. The Office [...]
