Hiscox shares jump after firm lifts buyback despite wildfire losses August 6, 2025 Shares in Lloyd’s of London insurer Hiscox jumped more than 10 per cent in early deals this morning after the company hiked its share buyback. Overall, the group posted a slight fall in interim profit as wildfire claims hit its reinsurance division, but the group increased capital returns on the back of substantial investment income. [...]
Has Reeves realised she’s reached the limits of taxation? August 6, 2025 Much of the economic damage has already been done, but in ruling out wealth taxes and further pay deals with doctors, at least the Chancellor is allowing a shimmer of light to peep through, says Paul Ormerod England’s cricketers narrowly failed to score the 374 runs needed to beat India in the final Test match [...]
Pandora confirms customer data stolen in data breach August 5, 2025 Pandora has become the latest retailer to fall victim to a cyber attack after a spate of companies were targeted earlier this year. The premium jeweller confirmed the attack on August 5, telling customers that “some customer information was accessed through a third-party platform that we use”. “Only very common types of data were copied [...]
Spectris bidding war intensifies as KKR submits fresh offer August 5, 2025 The private equity bidding war for precision instrument business Spectris has stepped up a gear after New York-based KKR stepped in with a fresh offer that values the business at £4.8bn. The offer of 4,175p per Spectris share outflanks a fresh offer made by Boston-based Advent of 4,100p per share on Friday, and represents a [...]
BP shares jump after oil major ups dividend and launches buyback August 5, 2025 BP shares jumped on Tuesday despite the firm recording a hit to profit and revenue in the first half of 2025 as weaker oil prices and lower trading performance weighed on takings. The London-listed oil major posted total revenue of $95.6bn (£72bn), down from 2.7 per cent from the same previous last year, while profit [...]
The future of job loss from AI: what businesses need to do right now August 5, 2025 Acknowledge uncertainty but communicate clearly about the coming upheavals from AI AI is no longer quietly rewriting workflows. The alarms are coming from inside the boardroom. Executives at Ford, Amazon and JP Morgan are publicly warning of deep job losses as AI reshapes their operating models. Ford’s Jim Farley has said half of all white-collar [...]
Hawes & Curtis: Profit continues to fall at Dragons’ Den star’s brand August 4, 2025 Profit at Hawes & Curtis, the retailer owned by Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman, has shrunk for a second consecutive year despite rising sales. The London-headquartered fashion brand has posted a pre-tax profit of £3.7m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. That figure compares to the £4.7m it reported for 2023 and [...]
High street banks lost £100bn in customer savings to rivals since 2019 August 4, 2025 High street lenders have lost the equivalent of £100bn in customer savings to online banks and building societies as they come under pressure to adapt amid a major shift in the sector, according to a report. KPMG’s latest State of the Banks report found that traditional banking groups saw their market share in deposits drop [...]
Exclusive: Premier League data partner Genius expands portfolio August 1, 2025 The Premier League’s data and technology partner, Genius Sports, has secured a deal to provide the official betting data rights for 18 other top football leagues across Europe. As part of a long-term agreement with the European Leagues Association, Genius Sports will use AI technology to capture and distribute official betting data for a wide [...]
UK should introduce its own ‘Trump card’ to woo back the wealthy August 1, 2025 To address the UK’s fiscal challenges and reverse capital flight, Rachel Reeves’ government should implement creative, pro-investment policies, such as reforming non-dom rules and reintroducing an investor visa, rather than pursuing punitive tax measures, says Brandon Lewis Rachel Reeves’ recent Mansion House speech was full of assurances that she would neither bend nor break in [...]