UK firms turn to AI and automation as they struggle to find skilled workers June 4, 2025 Nearly three-quarters of British firms are struggling to find talented workers in fears that productivity levels are unlikely to rebound after a bumpy recovery from the pandemic, fresh research has found. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on firms to prioritise hiring British workers over sponsoring foreign nationals as part of his plans to boost [...]
B&M: FTSE 250 shares plunge as profit and job cuts revealed June 4, 2025 Shares in B&M have plunged by more than ten per cent after the retailer revealed a lower profit, rising debt and job cuts. The Liverpool-headquartered company, which is a member of the FTSE 250 index, reported a pre-tax profit of £431m for the 12 months to 29 March, 2025, down from the £498m it achieved [...]
Ramsdens strikes gold after price jump boosts profit to record high June 4, 2025 Pawnbroker Ramsdens enjoyed a bumper six months as its profit soared on the back of record high gold prices. Ramsdens’ pre-tax profit jumped 54 per cent to an all-time high of £6.1m. This was up from £4m in the first half of 2024. The firm said its purchase of precious metals segment performed “very strongly” [...]
Fulham Premier League hospitality: Margaritas, caviar and £20,000 season tickets June 4, 2025 Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand features a new Sky Deck offering over three floors. City AM took a look around to see what it was all about. Worth the price tag? You decide. One of the newest features adjacent to the stretch of the River Thames between Putney Bridge and London’s famous River Cafe soars into [...]
B&M: Revenue ticks up as new stores outperform June 4, 2025 Discount retailer B&M has reported a bump in its full-year earnings after progress in France and a better-than-anticipated performance at its new stores. The London-listed Luxembourg-headquartered company reported revenue of £5.57bn in the 52 weeks ended March 29, up 3.7 per cent year on year. It said the higher revenue was “primarily driven” by the contribution [...]
Private equity: Are the doors to the most exclusive club in town finally opening? June 4, 2025 Private equity has carved out a record as one of the best-performing assetclasses of the last 25 years – for the exclusive benefit of a privileged few. Now, at last,private investors can get in. Trillions of dollars have flowed into private equity in the past twenty-odd years. Global private capital assets under management reportedly more [...]
Red Bull eyes franchise in R360 rugby breakaway league June 4, 2025 Red Bull is one of the sports investors to have expressed an interest in buying a franchise in R360, the revolutionary new global rugby union competition that it is claimed will launch next year. A proposed grand prix-style travelling league featuring eight men’s franchises and a four-team women’s competition has been put together by a [...]
The Debate: Should the UK decriminalise cannabis? June 4, 2025 Sadiq Khan says yes, but is the UK really ready for looser rules around cannabis? We get two experts to argue for and against.
Midak can prove poignant Derby winner June 3, 2025 BUOYANT after tipping four Sandown winners from four selections in last week’s column, all eyes turn to Saturday’s Derby (3.30pm) as I hope our luck can continue. This year’s renewal of the Epsom Classic looks wide open, certainly more so than the betting suggests. Delacroix is the 11/4 favourite and, credit where it’s due, Aidan [...]
Mazda CX-80 PHEV review: Hybrid SUV does things differently June 3, 2025 If you had contemplated buying a Mazda CX-60 SUV, but wanted to carry seven people, the new CX-80 could be the answer. With an upmarket image, it’s a more affordable challenger to vehicles such as the Land Rover Discovery and Audi Q7. Despite its considerable size, the CX-80 is not the largest SUV made by [...]