FCA probe and bonus clawbacks: WH Smith acts against former directors as North America profit plunges
Brokerage giant TP ICAP unveils new City headquarters in Broadgate September 26, 2018 The world’s largest interdealer broker has revealed plans this morning to move into a major new City headquarters in Broadgate, in an effort to house all of its brokers under one roof following the firm’s merger in 2016. TP ICAP will take up four floors of 135 Bishopsgate in a leasing that will see [...]
Crispgate: Royal Mail asks people to stop posting empty crisp packets September 26, 2018 Royal Mail is urging people to stop putting crisp packets in postboxes without envelopes amid fears that it might cause a delay to operations. The postal service has been caught in the firing line of a brewing row between environmental campaigners and crisp maker Walkers over non-recyclable packets currently being sold in the UK. [...]
UK mortgage approvals for new house purchases tumble despite growth in remortgaging September 26, 2018 The number of mortgages approved for house purchases was almost five per cent lower in August compared with the same time last year, providing fresh evidence of flat activity in London’s property market. Despite the fall in new mortgage approvals, remortgaging soared 9.2 per cent during the month, as a rising number of homeowners [...]
Pub giant Shepherd Neame serves up rising profits September 26, 2018 Britain’s oldest pub owner posted a five per cent rise in profit in the year to the end of June this morning, following 12 months that have seen the brewer ramp up its operations in London and the south east. Read more: Spirits in the sky as pub landlord enjoys bumper summer of profits Shepherd [...]
Smiles all round as Boohoo’s rising revenue trumps City forecasts September 26, 2018 Online fashion retailer Boohoo bumped up its forecast for full-year sales growth this morning in the wake of better-than-expected revenues during the first half of 2018. The PrettyLittleThing.com owner’s revenue hit £395m in the first six months of the year, marking a sharp 50 per cent rise compared with the same period in 2017. [...]
Taxpayers to foot £65m bill from Carillion redundancies September 25, 2018 Taxpayers are set to cough up £65m in redundancy payouts following the collapse of outsourcer giant Carillion. The liquidated construction services company, which bucked under the weight of a £1.5bn debt pile in January, has so far paid out £50m of the total £65m after thousands of workers were made redundant. The figures also [...]
Hostel market showing ‘early signs of success’ as customer base broadens beyond backpackers September 25, 2018 One of the UK’s leading premium hostel operators reported a 60 per cent rise in revenues in the six months to the end of June, in the latest sign of the growing demand among families and business people to a market traditionally dominated by young backpackers. Safestay, an emerging high-end owner of hostels in Europe, [...]
Cost-cutting overhaul unveiled as McCarthy & Stone shares climb September 25, 2018 McCarthy & Stone shares climbed more than seven per cent in morning trading, after the retirement housebuilder unveiled a new direction which is to focus more on cost-cutting and less on expansion. As part of the overhaul the FTSE 250 firm said that John Tonkiss, the company’s chief operating officer, will take over as [...]
Analysts warn of Debenhams ‘value trap’ day after launch of turnaround strategy September 25, 2018 Embattled department store chain Debenhams was hoping to ease investor cynicism after launching its new turnaround strategy yesterday, but it seems City analysts are yet to be impressed. Liberum said this morning that “a good store tour doesn’t change our view that this is a value trap”, reiterating its “sell” rating after the retailer [...]
Irn-Bru boss delivers the fizz as profits grow despite ‘volatile’ business climate September 25, 2018 Irn-Bru owner A.G. Barr posted a rise in both pre-tax profits and revenue in the first six months of 2018, fighting off a number of challenges to the soft drinks industry. The FTSE 250 firm reported profits before tax of £18.2m in the first-half of 2018, rising four per cent from the same period [...]
