Sales growth slows at Greggs as it warns of increased Brexit costs October 1, 2019 Sales growth at bakery chain Greggs slowed in the third quarter as it warned of tough comparatives and increased input costs because of Brexit. Greggs today posted a sales increase of 12.4 per cent for the 13 weeks to 28 September. Read more: Greggs upgrades outlook as sales rise on vegan sausage roll success Like-for-like [...]
Boris Johnson denies plan for post-Brexit ‘customs clearance sites’ in Ireland October 1, 2019 Boris Johnson has denied reports his government has proposed “customs clearance sites” as a way of getting around the Irish backstop to clinch a Brexit deal. Speaking to the BBC this morning, the Prime Minister rubbished reports which surfaced overnight as “a needless distortion.” Read more: City minister warns against turning away from EU rules [...]
UK house prices: Brexit drags back September growth October 1, 2019 Annual he owth in UK house prices fell back to 0.2 per cent in September, according to Nationwide data released today. The drop in growth came as September’s house valuations slipped 0.2 per cent against August’s. That left the average UK house price at £215,352 last month, a drop from £216,096 in August. Annual growth [...]
UK outbound M&A plunges to lowest level in a decade October 1, 2019 The value of UK outbound merger and acquisition (M&A) activity plunged in the third quarter, sinking to its lowest level in the last decade. M&A deals have totalled $42.9bn (£35bn) so far this year, down 69 per cent on the same time last year, according to data from Refinitiv. Read more: M&A activity targeting UK [...]
City minister John Glen warns against turning away from EU rules post-Brexit September 30, 2019 City minister John Glen has warned that the UK must think carefully about its regulation options post-Brexit, arguing that EU rules had been the “hallmark of our credibility”. The economic secretary to the Treasury struck a cautious tone while discussing regulation for financial services sector, saying that while it was important that the UK “maximised” [...]
Saudi Aramco to pay out $75bn dividend as it courts investors ahead of IPO September 30, 2019 Saudi Aramco has said it plans to pay a base dividend of $75bn (£61bn) in 2020 as it gears up for its highly-anticipated public float. Read more: JP Morgan set to pip rivals for Saudi Aramco mega-float The Saudi Arabian state oil giant has been courting potential investors for the initial public offering (IPO), from [...]
Government rubbishes Hammond’s hedge fund Brexit conspiracy theory September 30, 2019 The government has hit back at aBrexit conspiracy theory that Boris Johnson is colluding with currency traders by forcing a no-deal Brexit, claiming Labour is causing greater yet market uncertainty. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell demanded answers from the Conservatives, after former chancellor Philip Hammond wrote an article for The Times which claimed that speculators had [...]
Sajid Javid promises to increase National Living Wage to £10.50 September 30, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid has vowed to hike the National Living Wage to £10.50 within the next five years. Speaking to a busy Tory Party Conference hall, Javid said he would also ensure 21-year-olds can qualify for the National Living Wage. Currently the threshold is set at 25 years old. Read more: Chancellor Sajid Javid sets [...]
Whitbread share price tumbles on Barclays downgrade September 30, 2019 Whitbread suffered a fall in its share price this morning after Barclays downgraded the UK’s biggest hospitality company. The Premier Inn owner’s share price has tumbled five per cent during trading today after its rating was cut by Barclays, which moved its recommendation from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Equal Weight’. Read more: Markets mixed on US-China trade [...]
UK first quarter growth revised upwards but picture remains stark September 30, 2019 The UK economy did better in the first quarter of the year than originally expected, official figures showed today, as stockpiling for the March Brexit date boosted growth. Read more: UK economy close to recession after stagnant service sector data Yet the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed gloomy figures for the second quarter of [...]