Steeper US Fed rate hike sends investors wobbling May 4, 2022 The prospect of the world’s most influential central bank hiking interest rates by double the amount it normally does weighed on London’s top indexes today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.9 per cent to 7,493.45 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
West End set for booming recovery as tourists flock back to capital May 3, 2022 Londoners can bet on a roaring West End comeback, after Peel Hunt analysts pointed to a resilient recovery in occupier demand and rental tone. In a note yesterday, Peel Hunt said that the future looked cheery for the central London shopping and theatre destination, “despite wider uncertainty and the cost of living squeeze.” It comes [...]
Investors’ warm response to break up rumours boosts HSBC shares May 3, 2022 Shares in Britain’s biggest bank climbed today in a sign investors backed a proposal by its largest shareholder to carve out its profit-machine Asia business. FTSE 100-listed HSBC’s shares gained 1.61 per cent today on the first day of trading in London since calls to break-up the lender strengthened. Ping An, a Chinese insurance giant [...]
The City View: Michael Hewson on why calls for a windfall tax are misplaced May 3, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets. They pick apart the arguments for a windfall tax on BP, discuss potential rate rises from the Fed and Bank of England, and go through the impact that China’s zero-Covid policy has had on manufacturing in the country. And in other news [...]
McColl’s shares to be suspended from LSE as accounts cannot be signed off by auditors May 3, 2022 Struggling convenience store business McColl’s is set to have its shares suspended from the London Stock Exchange as bosses said they would be unable to get its accounts signed off by auditors in time. The retailer has been in discussions with potential lenders to shore up the business, which struggled badly during the pandemic due [...]
Bringing retail investors into the fold creates equality of opportunity from our wealth May 3, 2022 In the 1980s, one of the UK’s most high-profile flotations was the privatisation of the state-owned British Gas. The government’s “Tell Sid” 1986 advertising campaign attracted many of its 500,000-strong army of private investors. During the countdown to the British Gas shares sale, the government courted subscriptions from retail investors in every way imaginable – [...]
Fast fashion slammed over cargo plane emissions May 2, 2022 Fast fashion critics have called for more industry regulation after Shein and other retailers have been using planes to deliver their products, often at great environmental cost. According to the data from the CarbonCare emission calculator, a cargo plane used by Shein carries 100 tonnes of cargo, producing around 443 tonnes of CO2 to go [...]
Retail union ups pay ask to £12 per hour as cost of living spikes May 2, 2022 Retail firms should pay a minimum wage of at least £12 per hour, as recent pay hikes offer little respite against soaring inflation, a trade union has urged. In recent weeks, several large employers have hiked wages for shop floor and warehouse staff. Supermarket giant Tesco will raise hourly wages by 5.8 per cent from [...]
Shareholder rebellion to hit Ocado scheme over concerns of £100m windfall for boss May 2, 2022 Ocado investors are reportedly planning to turn their nose up at an extension of a share reward scheme which would see the retailer’s boss handed £100m. Two advisory groups, the Institutional Shareholder Service and Glass Lewis, have recommended investors to reject the proposal to lengthen the so-called “valuation creation plan” at its annual general meeting [...]
Watchdog unveils plans for fund ‘side pockets’ to shield investors April 28, 2022 The UK’s top financial watchdog has revealed plans for the use of so-called fund ‘side pockets’ today to ring fence assets that have become untradeable in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.