Profit warnings citing global upheaval hit ‘record high’ January 27, 2026 The proportion of profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies where bosses complain about policy uncertainty and geopolitics reached a record high last year, fresh analysis has shown. New data by EY has shown that 240 firms warned investors that profits would fall short of market expectations. Though this was the lowest figure since 2021 – [...]
The Apprentice 2026 star Tim Campbell reveals new task he’d add – and it involves AI January 26, 2026 As The Apprentice 2026 returns, Lord Sugar’s adviser Tim Campbell MBE speaks to City AM The Apprentice returns to the BBC this Thursday 29 January with many of the classic tasks pitting two groups of budding entrepreneurs against each other, as the teams compete to try to make a profit. Contestants have created books, newspapers, [...]
James Reed: Usual January job hunting surge delayed by WFH January 26, 2026 The first Monday of the working year has long been the busiest day for job searches, but that's slowly changing, writes James Reed.
UK retail sales see modest Christmas rise following Budget January 23, 2026 UK retail sales inched up slightly in December, as consumers returned to the high street for Christmas shopping after the Autumn Budget, but failed to halt an overall fall in purchases during the final quarter. Retail sales volumes are estimated to have increased by 0.4 per cent in December, following falls of 0.1 per cent [...]
Young’s ditches AIM as pub chain eyes FTSE 250 inclusion January 22, 2026 Young’s has become the latest company to unveil plans to quit London’s small-cap stock market as the pub giant sets its sights on inclusion into the FTSE 250. The Wandsworth-based business said it will apply to join the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in a move which it said will “enhance the company’s [...]
Live sport credited for Netflix subscriber surge as sign-ups hit 325m January 21, 2026 Netflix has credited its investment in live sport for a surge in sign-ups as quarterly revenue rose to beyond $12bn. Results for Q4 saw income rise by nearly 30 per cent $2.4bn while subscriber numbers jumped to 325m. Netflix was the exclusive global broadcaster of the bout between influencer Jake Paul and former world heavyweight [...]
Next seals deal to acquire Russell & Bromley January 21, 2026 High street giant Next has stepped in to buy shoe seller Russell & Bromley in the latest in a string of acquisitions by the FTSE 100 retail giant. The sale will see Next acquire the Russell & Bromley brand, and three of its stores in Chelsea, Mayfair and the Bluewater Shopping Centre, in exchange for [...]
Currys shares soar after retailer defies high street gloom January 21, 2026 Shares in tech retailer Currys soared this morning after the firm released an upbeat Christmas trading update, defying wider gloom on the high street. The London-listed firm recorded a three per cent uptick in UK and Ireland revenue as it clawed a bigger market share from strong sales in mobile, as well as growth in [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]
UK inflation overshoots forecasts in cost of living warning January 21, 2026 Inflation overshot forecasts pencilled in by economists, sending the Bank of England a warning on their steady pace of interest rate cuts. New data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown consumer price index (CPI) inflation, the headline measure for price growth, hitting 3.4 per cent in the year to December. Economists [...]