London commuter slowdown dents growth at Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express operator December 3, 2024 Fewer London commuters slowed growth at the company behind Great Western Railway and the Heathrow Express, as delays and cancellations became more frequent during its latest financial year. First Great Western (FGW) has said that while the leisure market has “recovered strongly”, the number of commuters into London remain behind December 2019 levels despite have [...]
Why Brentford ticket news has shamed Ratcliffe and Manchester United December 3, 2024 Brentford have cast Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s price increases at Manchester United in an even less flattering light by slashing the cost of away tickets for young fans to just £10. The Premier League club’s pledge not only affects junior Brentford fans attending their away games but also under-18s making the trip to west London to [...]
Avanti West Coast: Ticket sales pass £1bn despite operating troubles December 3, 2024 Turnover at Avanti West Coast jumped past £1bn last year, even as it was named as one of the least reliable rail operators in Britain, it has been revealed. The train operator, which is jointly owned by Firstgroup and Italian rail firm, Trenitalia, has posted a turnover of £1.01bn for the 12 months to 31 [...]
Gail’s Bakery to open 35 new locations amid £500m sale talks December 3, 2024 Gail’s Bakery is planning to open 35 new locations across England during its current financial year as it considers a £500m sale. The London-headquartered business opened 21 in its latest 12 months – a period which also saw its revenue surge from £181.7m to £231.7m. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House for the year to 29 [...]
City rents rise as return to the office drives up demand for prime locations December 3, 2024 Available office space in London’s most sought-after areas has slumped to near record lows as businesses continue to reverse pandemic-era working from home rules. According to global property consultancy Knight Frank, availability in newly constructed office buildings has fallen to 0.3 per cent in the West End Core – which includes Mayfair and St James’s [...]
French turmoil could be a boost for the City of London, says top lawyer December 3, 2024 Political turmoil in France and geopolitical tensions between China and the US are showcasing the UK’s status as an “independent financial centre” and destination for international IPOs, a leading capital markets figure has suggested. Mark Austin, a lawyer at Latham & Watkins who has masterminded many of the City’s reform efforts over the past two [...]
Foreign firms launch £7.8bn summer deals raid on British companies December 3, 2024 A raid by international firms on UK companies accelerated over the summer as foreign buyers kicked off deals worth some £7.8bn – even as domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) slumped. Foreign spending on UK companies rose by 16 per cent between July and September, thanks in part to the $976m (£769m) swoop by US-based Quanex [...]
Shein: Why the FCA is unlikely to block a blockbuster listing December 3, 2024 The boss of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has insisted he is not the regulator of “every aspect of corporate behaviour” amid growing concerns over plans for the fast fashion retailer Shein to float on the London Stock Exchange. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the FCA, said it is not within the regulator’s power to [...]
Profit jumps at Upper Crust owner SSP despite sluggish European performance December 3, 2024 In the 2024 financial year, the firm's operating profit jumped by 23 per cent to £206m, up from £167m last year. Pretax profit rose by 35 per cent.
Jaguar: First look at electric car revealed following rebrand backlash December 3, 2024 Jaguar has revealed the first look at its new luxury electric car following a backlash over its recent rebranding. The iconic Britich carmaker sparked criticism last month after switching up its logo to ‘JaGUar’ and launching an ad which included slogans such as “delete ordinary” and “copy nothing.” The move led to accusations Jaguar was [...]