Bumper summer and Booker buyout set to boost Tesco profits September 30, 2018 Tesco will be hoping to post strong first-half profits on Wednesday, as a blistering summer heatwave, successful World Cup run and a royal wedding are all likely to have boosted the firm’s performance. Consensus estimates compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence show that earnings before tax (excluding exceptions) could hit £795m in the first six [...]
Character assassination: Business bosses are starting to realise that Twitter has a price September 30, 2018 It is not boardroom discord or tumbling profits that are causing mayhem for Elon Musk, the maverick and publicity-hungry Tesla chief who is set to lose his role as chairman. It’s his Twitter habit. His case exemplifies how Twitter, the social media platform that can send 280 poorly chosen characters right round the world in [...]
Tory civil war deepens as Boris Johnson lays into ‘deranged’ Chequers plan September 30, 2018 Boris Johnson poured salt on the wounds of Tory Party divisions this morning, branding Theresa May’s Brexit blueprint as “entirely preposterous” and “deranged”. In comments that are likely to fuel further speculation about his leadership ambitions, Johnson widened the rift between himself and the Prime Minister by saying: “Unlike the Prime Minister, I campaigned for [...]
War of words: Former Brexit minister brands CBI a ‘grave menace to political stability’ in damning attack September 30, 2018 A former Brexit minister and leading Tory backbencher has launched a remarkable and scathing attack on Britain’s largest business lobby group today, branding the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) “a grave menace to the political stability and economic prospects of the UK”. In a hard-hitting article that claims the CBI is no longer the voice of [...]
Not feeling capital: Debenhams faces growing cash reserve woes as credit insurer scraps cover to suppliers September 30, 2018 Embattled department store chain Debenhams suffered a fresh blow today as one of its leading credit insurers turned off the tap for cover provided to the retailer’s suppliers. Insurance provider Atradius is pulling its entire credit cover for Debenhams’ suppliers, amid fears about the future of the historic retail giant in the run-up to Christmas. [...]
Musk to step down as Tesla chairman and pay $20m fine in settlement with US regulators September 30, 2018 Elon Musk is to step down as chairman of Tesla after settling a fraud lawsuit with US regulators over tweets he made about taking the firm private. The billionaire boss of the electric car-making firm has also agreed to pay a $20m (£15m) fine from the US securities and exchange commission (SEC), staving off a [...]
Peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle gears up for £1.5bn valuation in London listing September 28, 2018 British peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle has valued its debut initial public offering (IPO) at £1.5bn, despite initially having aimed to raise as much as £1.8bn. The firm, backed by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, tested investor appetite in the run-up to next week’s debut, selling off shares at 440p on London’s main market. Read more: [...]
Third Russian spy reportedly carried out reconnaissance mission ahead of Salisbury attack September 28, 2018 Britain’s counter terrorism forces have identified a third Russian military intelligence officer who they believe carried out a reconnaissance mission before the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, according to the Telegraph. Reports have emerged that an agent, who has yet to be named, is thought to have visited Salisbury to help [...]
GDP: Half-year growth hits slowest rate since 2011 as business investment slides September 28, 2018 The UK economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the second half of this year, marking the weakest six-monthly growth in seven years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) findings on gross domestic product (GDP) today show that the underlying trend is “still one of slowing real GDP growth”, with the UK economy growing [...]
Serco’s share price soars after forecasting a sunny future with raised profit guidance September 28, 2018 Shares at Serco soared almost 15 per cent in early morning trading, as the outsourcing giant trumped City expectations after lifting its full-year profit guidance. The FTSE 250 group said it now expects underlying trading profit between £90-£95m, marking a stark rise from the previous estimates of around £69.8m reported last year. Shares jumped more than 14 per [...]
