JD Sports warns of ‘muted growth’ amid weak consumer spending May 7, 2026 JD Sports has seen profit fall as the sportswear retailer warned it is preparing for a period of “muted” growth amid weak consumer spending and potential Iran war cost pressures. Pre-tax profit at the FTSE 100 firm fell by 12 per cent to £629m in the year to January, even as sales rose by 12 [...]
Local elections 2026: City awaits ‘significant’ event for Labour leadership May 7, 2026 City giants have warned today’s local elections will be “significant” for market pricing, with traders keeping a close eye on possible leadership moves made by the likes of Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham. Several financial behemoths have lined up to warn investors that results across the country over the coming days could be unusually important [...]
FTSE 100 banks are facing £2.5bn of headwinds – HSBC and Barclays are in the firing line May 6, 2026 The FTSE 100’s Big Five banks toasted a healthy profit stash in the first-quarter, but, says Samuel Norman, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon for the sector. The London market’s five biggest banks swallowed a bitter cocktail of economic risks in the first three months of the year leaving a bumper cash haul overshadowed [...]
Who Gives a Crap: The toilet roll tycoon making a splash May 6, 2026 Simon Griffiths founded Who Gives a Crap toilet paper with the philanthropic aim of ensuring everyone has access to a clean toilet. He has raised £11m so far, but Griffiths tells Felix Armstrong that’s not nearly enough “I was always an entrepreneurial kid at school,” Simon Griffiths says, as he explains the complex process of [...]
Businesses cut jobs for 19 consecutive months yet ‘growth holds up’ May 6, 2026 Businesses have now cut jobs for 19 consecutive months as researchers warned that higher payroll costs and productivity gains have forced employers in the services sector to rethink hiring plans. Results from S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) suggested that lower staffing numbers across the UK’s dominant services sector have been recorded in each month [...]
Local elections 2026: who will win in Harrow Council? May 6, 2026 The Conservatives’ last London stronghold faces its toughest test yet. Four consecutive 4.99 per cent council tax rises, a cumulative 20 per cent hike adding nearly £500 to Band D bills, have handed Labour a powerful attack line. A candidate suspension over offensive social media posts has added damaging scrutiny in one of London’s most [...]
Fluidra Delivers a Good Start to 2026, Consistent With Full-year Expectations May 6, 2026 Sales up 5% at constant currency to €564 million, with growth across all regions driven by volume and price Net profit up 6.4% at constant currency to €46 million Fluidra maintains full-year guidance while monitoring dynamic trading environment
Wetherspoon issues profit warning over ‘substantial’ cost hikes May 6, 2026 JD Wetherspoon has warned it could miss profit targets over “substantial increases in costs,” as pubs brace for soaring energy and shipping prices due to the Iran war. The UK’s best-known pub chain confirmed on Tuesday that the much-feared knock-on effects from the blockage to the Strait of Hormuz have begun to hit hospitality firms. [...]
‘Political choice’: Retailers urge government to act on rising costs May 6, 2026 Retailers have urged the government to cut tax and red tape to counter soaring energy costs caused by the Iran war. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), an industry trade body, has accused Labour of making a “political choice” not to cut energy taxes and delay costly regulation to avoid the worst shop inflation. The effective [...]
Supermarket inflation: Falling oil prices help keep costs down at the till May 6, 2026 Thank goodness for the price of oil. No, not Brent crude – the stuff that has sent costs at the pump up sharply since the outbreak of war in Iran – but cooking oil. A 500ml bottle of rapeseed oil fell by an average of 14 per cent between April and May across three supermarkets [...]