House prices hike push owners to renovate, not relocate November 7, 2024 As house prices surge at their fastest annual rate in two years, many UK homeowners are opting to renovate rather than relocate due to high property costs and the highest tax rates in four decades. House prices have hit a record high, as analysts suggest higher demand has come up against a continued shortage in [...]
Wood Group shares slump as it launches write-offs review November 7, 2024 Wood Group shares nosedived 55 per cent today after the engineering firm unveiled a Deloitte-led review of its operations, sparking investor concern. The review, launched in response to recent large-scale project write-offs, will assess the firm’s contract accounting and governance. It may also potentially lead to financial restatements. The review was announced alongside a trading [...]
Underground air to heat London’s iconic buildings November 6, 2024 Excess heat from London’s Underground will power iconic buildings in a new £1bn net zero scheme. This low-carbon network will soon channel excess heat from the Underground to power several sites in central London, namely Downing Street and the National Gallery. This comes following last week’s Budget, in which chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant investments [...]
YouGov: Recent acquisition boosts revenue November 6, 2024 YouGov has reported strong full year revenue, slightly north of guidance, due to better-than-expected performance from its recently acquired Consumer Panel Services (CPS) arm. As expected, revenue reached £335.3m in the year ended July 2024, up by 30 per cent year on year and outpacing guidance put forward in August, due to bumper research activity [...]
Stamp duty hike: a ‘bitter but manageable pill to swallow’ for UK landlords November 5, 2024 Last week’s Budget announcement raised Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) to five per cent tax, yet household landlords seem unfazed. London-based estate agent Benham and Reeves carried a survey to find out how UK landlords reacted to this hike. Concerns about potential hikes in capital gains tax (CGT) on property investments weighed heavily on landlords [...]
Smiths News declares special dividend after profit surge November 5, 2024 Smiths News exceeded its profit expectations during its financial year, leading the UK-based wholesaler to announce a special dividend for its shareholders. According to its full-year results, the company’s revenue for the year ending 31 August 2024, reached £1.1bn, a 1.1 per cent uptick from last year. During that time, its adjusted operating profit also [...]
Virgin Media 02 reignites calls to crack down on fraud as Brits lose £600m November 5, 2024 Virgin Media 02 has called on the new Labour government to appoint a dedicated minister for fraud and set up a centralised, specialised national body to handle investigations. The telecom giant has argued that current law enforcement resources regarding fraud “remain inadequate” despite fraudulent activity representing 40 per cent of all crime in the UK. [...]
Nimbees: Rare bees foil Meta’s position in data centre arms race November 5, 2024 Plans for Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to establish a nuclear-powered AI centre in the US have been disrupted due to a discovery of a rare bee species on the land targeted for the project. Meta aimed to partner with an existing nuclear power plant to secure carbon-free power for a new data centre, essential for advancing [...]
Did Rachel Reeves deliver a net zero Budget? November 4, 2024 The UK’s recent Budget included a series of measures which have prompted debate over its impact on achieving net zero. While Rachel Reeves announced significant investments in green energy, hydrogen projects and electric vehicle incentives, a number of her decisions have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the UK’s environmental sector. While Wednesday’s Budget announced [...]
Data centres: The UK’s economic powerhouse? November 4, 2024 A new report claims that, given the right investment climate and policy support, the UK data centre sector could grow tenfold by 2035. TechUK’s report found that the sector could boost the economy by £44bn while creating over 40,000 jobs. The report also outlined how surging demand for digital services, fuelled by tech trends such as AI, [...]
