Savers warned of approaching state pension National Insurance ‘top-up’ deadline February 17, 2023 Those with missing years in their state pension contribution record between 2006 and 2017 have until April 5 to make voluntary contributions, an investment platform has warned From 6 April the number of extra years available to purchase drops to the last six tax years Alice Haine, personal finance Analyst at Bestinvest, a DIY investment platform [...]
UK retail sales’ sluggish new year start as cash-strapped Brits go online to nab deals February 17, 2023 UK retail sales remained muted in January following December’s fall, with fuel sales spiking and prices continuing to plummet. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the figures which showed retail sales volumes increased by just half a per cent last month. This comes after it dipped by 1.2 per cent in December, despite the [...]
UK military risks NATO downgrade, security think tank warns February 16, 2023 Britain risks no longer being NATO’s top military power in Europe, a think tank report has warned, in the midst of growing security issues. The French military has more troops, jets and ships than the UK, despite spending £13bn less on defence, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) found. France boasts 203,250 personnel compared [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index pulls further away from record 8,000 point threshold as British Gas owner surges February 16, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 scaled further above the 8,000 point mark today driven by investors piling into British Gas owner Centrica after it posted record profits of more than £3bn last year. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.18 per cent to 8,012.53 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the [...]
Wagamama owner has ‘little hope for future’ activist shareholder says, urging major strategy overhaul February 16, 2023 Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group has shown “little hope for the future” and is in need of a strategy overhaul, an activist shareholder has urged. Oasis Management, a hedge fund which holds a 6.5 per cent stake in the company, called on the hospitality firm to “re-align its priorities” and take immediate steps to restore [...]
UK economy has a needless £20 billion dependency on US stablecoins, research says February 16, 2023 A report by Poundtoken and Myna says 99% of the global stablecoin market-cap is unnecessarily tied to the US Dollar.
Mazars UK business posts ‘record’ growth as firm pushes to tackle Big Four’s dominance February 16, 2023 Mazars today said its UK audit business grew 37 per cent over the previous year, as the accounting firm seeks to take on the Big Four and capture a larger share of the market. Mazars’ UK business posted “record” growth, despite rising costs, after its revenues increased by more than a fifth (23 per [...]
Sudden rise in price of Bitcoin shows investors are embracing onset of increased crypto regulation February 16, 2023 Nigel Green believes the jump Bitcoin's price shows investors feel more assured, protected and confident by crypto regulation.
Third of London restaurants worried they can’t afford energy bills, new data reveals February 16, 2023 A third of London restaurants are concerned they may be unable to pay their bills if energy prices keep rising, according to a new study by Uswitch for Business. In the capital, restaurants are currently operating at an average capacity of 54 per cent – six per cent lower than the UK average – with [...]
Nestle: Cost inflation eats into KitKat maker’s profit as it tumbles 45 per cent to £8.4bn February 16, 2023 KitKat and Nescafe coffee maker Nestle has revealed its net profits tumbled by 45 per cent as cost inflation led the global food and drink giant to hike up the prices of its products. The Switzerland-headquartered company, which owns some of the world’s biggest food brands, said its net profits fell to 9.3 billion Swiss [...]