US giant Apollo to back Hinkley Point C with £4.5bn loan June 20, 2025 US private capital group Apollo Global will back the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station with a £4.5bn loan, according to reports. The loan will be provided as unsecured debt to EDF, the French state-owned energy firm delivering the project, at an interest rate of just under seven per cent, sources told the FT. While [...]
Louis Vuitton: Sales and profit slashed amid luxury spending slowdown June 20, 2025 A continued slowdown in luxury retail spending saw sales at the UK arm of Louis Vuitton slashed by almost £90m and profit tumble during 2024, it has been revealed. The fashion powerhouse has reported sales of £488.2m for its latest financial year, down from the £575.2m it achieved in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies [...]
Government borrowing surges in May to fund Labour’s spending June 20, 2025 Government borrowing in May surged to £17.7bn, official data has shown, reflecting the government’s need for cash to fund Labour’s spending splurge. This represented the second-highest May borrowing figure since records began more than 30 years ago and higher than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast. Fresh data published by the Office for National [...]
UK growth to suffer from interest rates hold, industry warns June 19, 2025 The UK economy stands to suffer from high borrowing costs, leading industry figures have warned, after the Bank of England held interest rates at 4.25 per cent on Thursday. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) indicated that interest rate cuts could come in the coming months after a recent 25 basis point cut in May. [...]
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25 per cent June 19, 2025 The Bank of England has held interest rates to “squeeze out persistent inflationary pressures” amid tensions between Israel and Iran risking an alarming uptick in energy prices later this year. Officials said high inflation predictions and sticky wage growth figures had led them to opt for interest rates to be kept at 4.25 per cent [...]
Morrisons boosts sales amid looming ‘trolley wars’ June 19, 2025 Supermarket giant Morrisons has posted an increase in sales as it works to offload debt and compete in an ever-tougher sector. Like-for-like sales rose 3.9 per cent in the second quarter of the year, while total sales grew 4.2 per cent to £3.9bn. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 7.2 per [...]
B&M swaps one tax haven for another June 19, 2025 B&M has revealed plans to swap Luxembourg, the European tax haven the discount retailer has been domiciled in for over a decade, with Jersey. The London-listed company, which has its operational headquarters in Liverpool, said the move would simplify its corporate and administrative structure and provide “greater flexibility for returning capital to shareholders going forward”. [...]
Young Brits drive consumer confidence up while high-income households cut back June 19, 2025 A confidence boost amongst Gen Z Brits drove an improvement in consumer confidence in June while wealthier households held back, according to new data. Overall confidence about the state of the UK’s economy improved to -38 in June, up from -36 in May, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Brits’ confidence about their personal [...]
UK suffers second highest fall in wealth of any major economy in 2024 June 19, 2025 Average wealth in Britain fell the second most of any major economy in 2024, according to a closely followed global study, piling fresh scrutiny on the country’s battle to stem an exodus of its wealthiest residents and kickstart its flagging economy. According to UBS’s annual Wealth Report, mean household wealth in Britain fell 3.6 per [...]
Reform UK: Treasury should intervene on Bank interest rates decisions June 18, 2025 Reform UK has suggested the Treasury should be allowed to contribute to the Bank of England’s interest rates decision in what would represent an intervention on its independence for the first time in nearly 30 years. Deputy leader Richard Tice told The Times ministers should have greater power over the Bank’s key decisions while it [...]