Funeral firm Dignity posts rise in revenue amid Covid-19 crisis November 9, 2020 Funeral provider Dignity has posted higher revenue in the first nine months of the year following a sharp spike in deaths caused by the outbreak of coronavirus. The London-listed firm booked underlying revenue of £234.5m to 25 September, up four per cent on the same period last year. The figures reflected a higher number of [...]
US Election: Biden’s (almost certain) win: How it happened November 6, 2020 Live updates on the US Presidential Election 2020 as Donald Trump and Joe Biden go head to head. Rolling coverage as Americans vote.
Screenshot: Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox November 6, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week: **Media Moment of the Week: Margaret Thatcher takes to Twitter **Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox **Three’s a crowd: Why a telecoms mast deal could spark more mergers Media Moment of the [...]
FCA outlines payment holiday proposals for struggling borrowers November 4, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined its proposals to bolster support for consumer credit borrowers struggling with the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this week, the watchdog announced plans to extend payment holidays credit cards, car finance, personal loans and pawnbroking as England prepares to enter a fresh national lockdown tomorrow. Under [...]
Five trends to watch in China’s consumer sector November 3, 2020 As the world continues to try to contain the spread of Covid-19, China is among the few countries sustaining a return to normal activity. Restrictions on movement have been lifted and the government’s test and trace system has so far proven effective in containing new outbreaks. As a result, shops, restaurants and other services have [...]
Racing against time: The UK-US trade deal and the 2020 election November 2, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – International trade secretary Liz Truss recently made it clear that the UK needed to close a US trade deal by mid-2021 if it was going to happen any time soon. In July, the US government’s Trade Promotion Authority -which allows trade deals to be passed through Congress without being amended – will [...]
Retail tycoon Mike Ashley ‘furious’ after being ‘frozen out’ of Debenhams sale November 1, 2020 Retail mogul Mike Ashley is reportedly “furious” about being “frozen out” of an auction for collapsed department store Debenhams. The Sunday Times reported that lawyers for the tycoon have spent the last week complaining to Lazards and law firm Freshfields that Ashley’s Frasers Group had been given “woefully inadequate” information on the sale. Last week [...]
Water spending rebellion could cost households billions, says Citizens Advice October 30, 2020 Citizens Advice has waded into a row between the competition and water watchdogs over new spending rules for the country’s water companies. According to the charity, households could lose out on a combined £3.7bn across the next five years if the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sticks with its decision to back a rebellion against [...]
NHS should be on the table in UK-US trade talks, says senior US Senator October 29, 2020 American pharmaceutical companies should get access to the NHS in a UK-US trade deal, according to the chair of the Senate committee that approves trade agreements. Republican Senator, and chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Chuck Grassley told City A.M. that a UK-US trade deal “ought to involve almost anything” and that the NHS [...]
Watchdog calls for Viagogo-Stubhub breakup over competition concerns October 22, 2020 The UK’s competition watchdog has called for ticket reseller Viagogo to sell “all or part of” Stubhub, after a large-scale review into the merger found the two were close competitors in “a very concentrated market”. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation into the $4bn (£3bn) deal, completed in February, found it was [...]