Use your Isa allowance to invest against the Chancellor’s ‘Budget raid’ on savings March 8, 2023 What are your options if you plan to use your Isa to buy stocks and shares. We explore the different assets and explain why it’s more important than ever to use your Isa allowance this tax year. More taxpayers than ever are falling into the higher rate tax bracket of 40 per cent. According to [...]
Legal & General raises dividend as higher interest rates help it profit from pensions buyout boom March 8, 2023 Legal & General (L&) has hiked its dividend after outstripping market expectations by boosting its profits by 12 per cent. Higher profits in L&G’s pensions and life insurance segments offset lower incomes from its asset management business, LGIM, after it suffered from the impacts of market volatility. L&G upped its dividend by five per cent, [...]
Hotel Chocolat ‘cautious’ as falling revenue and profit dampen outlook for Mother’s Day and Easter sales March 8, 2023 Hotel Chocolat had a bittersweet second half of 2022 with dents in its revenue and profits, owing to “hefty investments”, as it is not so optimistic ahead of Mother’s Day and Easter. The premium chocolate maker reported a fall in its revenue to £129m down from £142m last year, while its gross profit was down [...]
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on why it’s not all doom and gloom for the economy March 8, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, on why it’s not the time to be gloomy about the UK’s prospects, the battle for your coffee pound and a new podcast. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that the UK economy is in a [...]
FTSE 100 close: Powell interest rate warning drags London index into the red March 7, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was muted today as investors sweat over whether Fed chair Jerome Powell’s warning that US interest rates will stay higher for longer means other central banks will follow suit. The capital’s premier index closed 0.13 per cent lower at 7,919.49 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned [...]
Bankers’ bonus cap was not working, UK banking regulator says March 7, 2023 The imposition of the bankers’ bonus cap has had “precisely the opposite effect” to what regulators intended, the head of the UK’s main banking regulator said today, as he sought to defend the government’s decision to scrap the cap. Sam Woods, head of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said that while scrapping the bonus cap [...]
In The Style: Shares slump to new lows as retailer forced to sell business to avoid collapse March 7, 2023 In The Style has seen its share price slump 5.3 per cent this morning, after the embattled fast fashion brand revealed that it was forced to sell its business to avoid administration. The fast fashion retailer, which was once valued at £105m when it floated on the London Stock Exchange, said it has received a [...]
Greggs on a roll: Baker will boost its UK sites to 3,000 as later opening proves a hit with steak bake lovers March 7, 2023 Steak bake favourite Greggs said it expected to become a “significantly larger” business as it announced plans to grow its presence to 3000 sites following stellar sales figures. The budget bakery chain saw total sales up 23 per cent to £1.5bn in 2022, compared to £1.2bn the previous year, as consumers craved the brand’s new [...]
FTSE 100 live: London index gets the Monday blues on China GDP March 6, 2023 The FTSE 100 was dragged to a lower close after China set a five per cent GDP growth estimate for the year compared to its 5.5 per cent target, London’s blue chip index was down 17.32 points at 7,929.79. This lower-than-expected target hit metals prices with declines in the price of copper and iron ore, which [...]
FTSE 100 live: London index steady as China growth target disappoints investors March 6, 2023 The FTSE 100 has barely moved this morning, after China disappointed investors with modest growth targets for the year.