John Lewis blames high costs as it axes build-to-rent venture February 25, 2026 Retail giant John Lewis is to withdraw from its build-to-rent business in a shock U-turn on its diversification plans, after bemoaning high interest rates and a downturn in the London property market. John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which also owns Waitrose, took on management of around 1,000 homes in Bromley, West Ealing and Reading as part [...]
Microsoft hops on Lizzie line in search for new London HQ February 25, 2026 Microsoft has hopped on the Elizabeth Line in its search for a new London headquarters, with the US tech giant eyeing up Paddington and Canary Wharf as potential homes. The tech firm needs upwards of 200,000 sq ft from its new office and is seeking advice from CBRE, according to the Financial Times. Office space [...]
St James’s Place offers up rewards of its turnaround to shareholders February 25, 2026 St James’s Place roused shareholder spirits on Wednesday as the leading UK wealth manager reported funds under management hitting record highs coupled with rising payouts. Funds under management jumped 16 per cent to £220bn, up from £190.2bn the prior year. Gross inflows reached £21.9bn, a 19 per cent increase from £18.4bn, while net inflows increased [...]
Not-so-drastic Dave: Diageo boss defies expectations of slash-and-burn reign February 25, 2026 ‘Drastic Dave’ Lewis, who gained a reputation for cost-cutting and ruthless rationalisation during his time at Unilever and Tesco, was more ‘demure Dave’ when announcing Diageo’s first results of his tenure as chief executive. The spirits giant has been struggling in recent years, with its share price down 22 per cent year-on-year – and Lewis’ [...]
Weight-loss drugs to slow supermarket sales February 25, 2026 Weight-loss drugs are set to slim down supermarket sales in the UK as more Brits opt for diet-conscious shopping, a City broker has warned. The growth rate of supermarket sales is expected to slow this year due to the increasing popularity of diet-suppressant jabs, population growth and falling food inflation, according to a note from [...]
Ratcliffe’s Ineos could sell off assets as chemicals sector struggles February 25, 2026 Ineos is reportedly considering selling off parts of its business, as the chemicals giant attempts to shore up its finances amid a wider industry downturn. The firm founded and chaired by Jim Ratcliffe has held preliminary talks about selling off parts of its vinyls business Inovyn, Europe’s largest producer of PVC, a plastic widely used [...]
World Cup events in doubt as US shutdown risks host city funding February 25, 2026 Fears of “catastrophic” security issues at this year’s Fifa World Cup have emerged after US officials warned of financial shortfalls to the tune of over £650m. A partial federal government shutdown across the pond forced the freezing of nearly $900m of funding that would have been spent on the 11 US cities co-hosting the World [...]
Trainline shares tumble after boss disembarks February 25, 2026 It’s the end of the line for the boss of Britain’s best-known rail ticketing app after Trainline chief executive Jody Ford said he would be quitting the business. Ford, who has been at the helm of the FTSE 250 company for more than six years, said he would stay in post until a search to [...]
Aston Martin to axe hundreds of jobs as profit plummets February 25, 2026 Aston Martin is poised to cull its workforce by around a fifth after the firm’s bottom line took a beating from President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda. The British manufacturer said on Wednesday it had recognised a provision of £18.7m in relation to expected restructuring costs as it consults on chopping 20 per cent of [...]
St James’s Places shares jump as firm reports record funds under management February 25, 2026 St James’s Place saw funds under management reach record highs in its latest results, as more people choose to plough money into the UK’s leading wealth manager. Funds under management jumped 16 per cent to a record £220bn, up from £190.2bn the prior year, as the group attracted new clients and kept retention rates high. [...]