London markets join global Santa rally December 29, 2021 London markets joined the global stock rally today after they missed out due to being shut at the start of the week for public holidays in the UK. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.63 per cent higher at 7,418.76 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250, which is more aligned to the health of [...]
City winners: This year’s most popular funds and shares, which include BP, Rolls Royce, Tesla and Argo Blockchain December 29, 2021 DIY fund buyers didn’t get the memo that value investing is back in fashion, instead largely plumping for growth strategies over the course of 2021. “Success breeds success they say, and retail investors clearly have a high conviction that these funds will continue to prosper,” Laith Khalaf at AJ Bell told City A.M. as he [...]
Merciless Omicron beating: Retail sector in shock as Boxing Day sales in central London plummet by nearly 70 per cent December 27, 2021 Retailers in central London and across the UK are in shock as the number of bargain hunters looking for Boxing Day sales on the high street plummeted to almost half of pre-pandemic levels. In central London, footfall was 67 per cent lower than 2019 numbers, while it was 58 per cent below 2019 in other [...]
Think-tank: Further restrictions will put more people into poverty December 26, 2021 A think-tank boss has warned that further restrictions would put hundreds of thousands of people at risk of long-term poverty. Dame Philippa Stroud, a former highly-respected Tory adviser and now chief of the Legatum Institute, wrote today in the Sunday Telegraph that some 900,000 people slipped into poverty during previous lockdowns and that that number [...]
Last-minute Christmas shoppers rush to central London as capital readies to slow down for the holidays December 24, 2021 Many Londoners rushed to Oxford Street and other major shopping districts in the capital this afternoon for their last-minute Christmas shopping, as the country readies to shut slow for Christmas Day tomorrow. Despite the army shoppers this afternoon, footfall in central London has dropped more rapidly than elsewhere in the country over the last week [...]
Energy groups push for government action as power prices reach record highs December 23, 2021 Energy UK is the latest industry voice calling for government support as the energy sector struggles with record wholesale gas prices.
West End calls for ‘tangible relief’ as footfall hit by Omicron messaging December 22, 2021 Footfall was down 27 per cent on 2019 levels in the West End yesterday, despite the crucial build up to Christmas. Although footfall was up 10 per cent compared with the previous week, businesses have struggled to see the Christmas shopping momentum they anticipated this year. The West End has been hit by messaging to [...]
Hospitality bosses say Treasury support ‘borders on insulting’ as firms call for more aid December 21, 2021 Hospitality and leisure bosses have welcomed the announcement of a short-term support package for businesses but called for more. Venues have been hit hard by cancellations as the public stays away from the capital in a last attempt to dodge the highly transmissible Omicron variant before Christmas. After calls from industry bosses, Chancellor Rishi Sunak [...]
Not happening: Sadiq Khan cancels New Year’s Eve events in central London as Omicron cases surge December 21, 2021 As cases of the Omicron Covid variant in the capital surge, London’s New Year’s Eve celebration event in Trafalgar Square will not take place this year, it was announced this evening. London mayor Sadiq Khan has said the event, which was set to be open to around 6,500 key workers and members of the public, [...]
In the journey of learning to live with Covid-19, our businesses need support December 20, 2021 For many City shops, restaurants and pubs, the new work from home advice has cancelled Christmas. These are dark winter days for businesses who were expecting this period to be their busiest time. But the faster we all get jabbed, the quicker we can get back to the office. All eligible City workers need to [...]