Pearson’s stock price falls after revenue slowdown January 16, 2025 Academic publisher Pearson saw its stock price fall almost three per cent in early trading after reporting a slowdown in quarter-on-quarter organic growth. “Pearson’s transformation from being an owner of media titles like the Financial Times and selling expensive physical academic books to a company at the forefront of digital education has not been without [...]
Former BBC Dragons’ Den star backs UK AI action plan January 16, 2025 Former Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney has backed the UK’s recently announced ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, calling it a necessary step to position Britain as a global hub for the technology. The government’s plan, announced by Keir Starmer on Monday but developed under the leadership of tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, set out a strategy to [...]
UK set for AI tech boost as millions of pounds injected after action plan January 15, 2025 The UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector has received an average of £200m in private investment daily since July 2024, as global firms rally behind Starmer’s blueprint to turbocharge AI. In the 24 hours that followed the government’s release on Monday, over £14bn of new investment has been reported, with pledges to create over 13,000 jobs [...]
Lloyds Banking Group to shut major office impacting 500 staff January 15, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group will shut its office in Liverpool later this year, in a move set to impact the site’s 500 staff. The group said its decision to close its Speke location is part of broader plans to run “fewer, better-equipped” offices amid efforts to cut costs. In a statement, Lloyds said it has not [...]
AI can slash government red tape – unless red tape gets in its way January 15, 2025 The Prime Minister has said he wants to “go for it” with AI, so let’s get these tools into the hands of frontline workers, get them out from behind their desks and save taxpayers money, says Alex Stephany The Prime Minister was right to give a stark warning on AI to the public sector this [...]
Microsoft and FTSE firm Pearson tie up AI deal after UK action plan January 15, 2025 Microsoft and London-listed education giant Pearson have announced a multiyear partnership to address the global skills gap in artificial intelligence, as the UK prioritises AI. This collaboration will combine Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies with Pearson’s learning and assessment expertise to provide AI tools. It will also offer tailored learning and certifications for workers and [...]
Demand for AI tech boosts Currys January 15, 2025 Electrical retailer Currys has reinstated its dividend after a jump in sales related to AI tech helped boost the firm’s top and bottom lines. In a trading update issued this morning, the FTSE 100 firm said it expected to record a profit for its 2024/25 financial year of £145m to £155m, up 23 per cent to [...]
Playing the long game: What The Traitors teaches us about office management January 15, 2025 From split motivation to untrustworthy colleagues, the pitfalls of The Traitors are the same as the office, writes Claudine Collins.
Why this UK stockpicker is now looking to the US January 14, 2025 A top UK stockpicker is betting on small companies listed on the London Stock Exchange that make most their cash overseas amid fears the British economy will stagnate this year. “The winners will be US or global earnings with a London listing,” said Laurence Hulse, manager of the UK small company-focused Onward Opportunities trust. The [...]
CMA launches probe into Google search dominance under new regime January 14, 2025 Google has been placed under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to assess whether its search and advertising services deliver fair results within the UK. In a statement today, the watchdog announced the launch of its first “strategic market status designation investigation” under a new Strategic Market Status (SMS) regime, which was rolled [...]