Less magic, more panic in Disney’s AI deal March 5, 2026 It was always going to happen, wasn’t it? The moment AI video tools became proficient enough to conjure something that looked vaguely like a princess, or a Jedi, Disney would ultimately have to choose: spend the next decade playing a game of Whac-A-Mole in court, or license its assets in-house. The House of Mouse, it [...]
Construction hit by wet weather as low housebuilding weakens output March 5, 2026 The construction sector was hit by “exceptionally wet weather” in February that caused delays and led to a decline in output, new research has shown. S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed the beleaguered sector suffered from an “accelerated downturn” in output last month. The construction PMI dropped to 44.5, below the 50-figure mark for [...]
Exclusive: Frasers Group acquires stake in athletic giant Puma March 5, 2026 Frasers Group has taken a stake in athletic giant Puma, City AM can reveal. Retail giant Frasers has acquired 246,000 shares in the athletic group, according to German filings published on Thursday. Puma’s share price currently stands at €22.50, meaning this 5.77 per cent stake is worth more than €5.5m. Frasers Group, founded by British [...]
Defence boosts Serco amid asylum hotel decline March 5, 2026 Government defence contracts helped Serco deliver a higher profit in 2025 despite a drop in the use of migrant hotels, once a key revenue stream for the London-listed company. Serco, an outsourcing company that covers government work on everything from migrant hotels to waste collection, was boosted by higher state expenditure both in the UK [...]
Littler and Humphries set for Silverstone showdown at F1 British Grand Prix March 5, 2026 Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will compete at the British Grand Prix this year, with Silverstone today set to confirm a darts tournament as part of the Formula 1 weekend. World champion Littler, as well as Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Fallon Sherrock, will throw at Silverstone’s trackside Boxpark in “A Night at the Darts” [...]
Aviva’s profits surge following Direct Line acquisition March 5, 2026 Aviva’s acquisition of Direct Line in 2025 contributed £174m to operating profit for the FTSE 100 giant, as the group’s overall operating profit increased by 25 per cent to £2.2bn. The group informed shareholders that it achieved its 2026 financial targets one year early, specifically reaching its £2bn operating profit and £1.8bn Solvency II own [...]
South East Water in spat with watchdog after £22m fine March 5, 2026 South East Water has entered a heated spat with the water regulator after it was hit with a £22m fine. The water firm’s fine covers multiple supply interruptions in Kent and Sussex between the period of 2020 and 2023, effecting more than 286,000 people. Ofwat said its investigations into the water firm found it had [...]
Estate agency Foxtons says ‘government-driven’ costs harming bottom line March 5, 2026 Leading estate agency Foxtons has hit out at the “strain” caused by national insurance and minimum wage hikes as it contends with a “challenging” market. The firm said “government-driven” pressures are harming its bottom line, as revenue growth was “offset” by increased external costs. The Labour government is facing increasing pressure from business to address [...]
AlbaCore Capital Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Announce Infrastructure Debt Platform March 5, 2026 The infrastructure debt platform will provide scalable and sustainable access to UK and European infrastructure debt through the future launch of Investment Grade and High Yield investment strategies
Double-digit profits at Admiral as dividends rise for shareholders March 5, 2026 FTSE 100 listed insurer Admiral reported double-digit profit growth over the last financial year, as the group pivots itself toward high-tech commercial insurance. The group profit before tax rose 16 per cent to £958m – up from £827m in 2024 – as its UK motor division surpassed the £1bn profit mark. Its other UK personal [...]