Housing market continues to strengthen as mortgage rates fall October 29, 2024 New figures from the Bank of England showed that 65,600 new mortgages were approved in September, the highest figure since August 2022.
Bulmers help C&C outperform the alcohol market October 29, 2024 Drinks company C&C has reported results in line with expectations as its core brands Bulmers and Tennent’s outperformed the market. The company has also reconfirmed its commitment to return a minimum of €150m (£125m) to shareholders over the next three years, adding that it has already completed €38m of buybacks. C&C will pay an interim [...]
Shop prices fall further in October despite fashion recovery October 29, 2024 According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), shop prices fell 0.8 per cent in the year-to-October.
House prices rising slowly but 2024 still a ‘bumper year’ October 28, 2024 2024 is set to be a “bumper year” for house sales thanks to rising real incomes and lower mortgage rates, according to Zoopla’s latest house price index. The level of new sales has increased to its highest level since late 2020, the survey showed. There are 306,000 homes currently working through the buying process, 26 [...]
Lookers in the red after £504m take-private deal October 28, 2024 Car dealership giant Lookers slumped into the red in the year it was taken private in a deal worth more than £500m. The Cheshire-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £5m for 2023, having posted a pre-tax profit of £73.9m in 2022. The loss comes as newly-filed accounts with Companies House show Lookers’ revenue [...]
Sky Bet: Profit slides as inflation and salary rises bite October 28, 2024 Profit at Sky Bet was slashed during its latest financial year as its operating expenses surged by almost £45m. The business behind the brand, which is owned by Flutter Entertainment, has reported a pre-tax profit of £48.9m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. Its profit was hit because the firm’s operating expenses [...]
Government and business need a new deal to navigate today’s uncertainty October 28, 2024 By year end, over half of the world’s population will have participated in a national election.With so many voters going to the polls, and the potential for disruptive transitions, concernsabout widespread political uncertainty have been chipping away at economic sentiment formuch of 2024. Given the wider global economic and geopolitical headwinds, this uncertaintyrisks dragging much [...]
Labour’s pro-business boasts ring hollow October 28, 2024 Rachel Reeves once vowed that if Labour won they “would be the most pro-business government this country has ever seen”. With just two days to go until the Budget, that pre-election pledge appears to be in the gutter. Reassuring the business community was an essential part of Labour’s pitch for power, but almost everything they’ve [...]
Mcdonald’s UK profit slashed by over £100m October 28, 2024 Profit at Mcdonald’s UK restaurants was slashed by more than £100m in 2023 despite its turnover taking a big stride towards the £2bn mark. The US fast food giant has reported a pre-tax profit of £66.3m for its UK operations, down from the £170.8m it achieved in 2022. Mcdonald’s operating profit was cut from £165.4m [...]
US and European interest rate cuts hang in the balance ahead of crunch week October 27, 2024 Key economic figures in the US and Europe are set to give investors clues on how much further both regions' central banks could go in cutting interest rates this year.