London’s house builders and consumer groups targeted by short sellers November 2, 2026 House builders and consumer groups are coming under pressure from short sellers as investors bet on a downturn across both sectors in the coming months. The number of London-listed firms with over five per cent of their shares held short more than doubled from 27 to 60 in the three months to October, according to [...]
Tech giants face tougher Ofcom demands after High Court ruling November 2, 2026 Meta, Tiktok and X will face a tougher battle resisting Ofcom’s demands for online safety data after the High Court ruled that tech giants must provide detailed evidence of compliance costs in order to challenge the regulator’s requests. The judgment, handed down on Friday, strengthens Ofcom’s ability to demand information from social media platforms even [...]
Banks battle for mortgages ahead of looming interest rate hike November 2, 2026 Britain’s biggest banks are battling for mortgage market share on razor-thin margins even as borrowers rush to remortgage ahead of looming interest rates hikes. The central bank is expected to lift its base rate to four per cent on Thursday – its first hike in three years – following a sharp resurgence in inflation. The [...]
Virgin Media O2 job cuts could save £200m but fail to ease debt crisis November 2, 2026 Virgin Media O2’s plans to axe up to 4,000 jobs could save the telecoms giant around £200m a year, but may do little to ease its mounting debt burden. The broadband provider is preparing to cut as much as a quarter of its 16,000-strong workforce as it battles fierce competition, falling revenues and concerns over [...]
BCG faces HMRC tax probe in consulting sector crackdown November 2, 2026 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is the latest professional services firm to be scrutinised by HMRC over its partnership structure and tax calculations for senior staff. The tax authority is conducting an inquiry into how the consulting group determines whether its partners are technically self-employed or employees for income tax and national insurance contribution (NIC) purposes, [...]
Home REIT gives notice to investment manager ahead of formal wind-down November 2, 2026 Home REIT has served its investment manager a formal termination notice as it launches aggressive cost-cutting measures as part of its winding-down. The stricken property firm said it had served its investment manager, AEW, six months’ notice in its latest trading update, with the contract set to expire in April 2027. The board said it [...]
What the Scotch whisky industry wants from government November 2, 2026 There was a mixture of dismay, exasperation and righteous indignation in the Scotch whisky industry when, in his first Budget as chancellor last Wednesday, John Healey ignored longstanding pleas for a fairer approach to excise duty on spirits. The Scotch Whisky Association’s CEO Mark Kent, said afterwards: “Another increase – the fourth in as many [...]
Chrysalis upgrades Starling valuation despite cut-price Boden sale November 2, 2026 Chrysalis Investments has lifted the value of its stake in Starling despite the recent cut-price share sale by the fintech’s founder Anne Boden. The British investment trust said on Monday its holding carried a price tag of around £403.9m, up by £47.9m following an external review. The trust holds around an 11 per cent stake [...]
Ryanair resorts to AI cost-cutting to swallow higher jet fuel costs November 2, 2026 Ryanair is set to use AI to improve productivity and freeze the pay of some of its staff as it grappes with a €2bn increase in fuel costs. Michael O’Leary, chief executive of the budget airline, said the energy costs facing European airlines will be “significantly higher next year,” because many of their fixed-price contracts [...]
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce long-term review – first report November 2, 2026 Launched in 2015, the Giulia was growing old gracefully and due to die soon. However, the delay of its electric successor has granted it a new lease of life, and sales will continue until at least 2027. Has this sporting saloon outstayed its welcome? That’s the question I hope to answer by spending three months [...]