Big Six energy firms ‘asleep’ and should be worried, Yu Group chief warns after record profits March 14, 2023 The Big Six are “asleep” and should be worried about challengers scooping up their customers, argued the boss of Yu Group.
Square Mile embraces hybrid working and tourism as post pandemic planning applications soar 30 per cent March 14, 2023 The Square Mile experienced a 30 per cent spike in planning applications during the pandemic, as investor confidence return to the City of London. The Museum of London, and new HQs for the City’s police and law firm Hogan Lovells were among the 56 applications submitted between 2020 and 2022, it has been revealed. The [...]
London: West End and Knightsbridge urge Hunt to relax Sunday trading laws to bring in £350m extra March 13, 2023 The West End and Knightsbridge have urged the chancellor to relax Sunday trading restrictions and help them rake in an estimated £350m a year. The duo have submitted a joint proposal to Jeremy Hunt ahead of this week’s budget, urging the government to relax Sunday trading laws within the popular London districts in an effort [...]
The Square Mile and Me: Tavier Taylor on Texas, job interviews and Pilates March 9, 2023 We dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good: this week it’s the Chartered Management Institute’s tech chief Tavier Taylor. What was your first job? I grew up in Texas and my very first “real” job – not counting underage babysitting at the age of 11 – was at Popeye’s Chicken on [...]
John Lewis comes under fire for lack of affordable housing in first build-to-rent scheme March 8, 2023 John Lewis has faced pushback over its first build-to-rent development after the leader of Ealing council accused the firm of “bullying” and raised concerns about the lack of affordable homes for locals in the area. Peter Mason, leader of Ealing council, took to Twitter to slam the retail group about the possibility of it not [...]
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 [...]