UK firms shed jobs at fastest rate in three years amid payroll hikes January 6, 2025 Weak demand and higher payroll costs have led to the steepest decline in service sector jobs since January 2021, according to a new survey. Nearly a quarter of survey respondents reported a fall in workforce levels, while 12 per cent signalled a rise, data from the S&P Global UK Services PMI showed. “Service providers widely [...]
Lloyd’s of London insurer snubs the City with New York IPO plans January 6, 2025 A Lloyd’s of London insurer has dealt a fresh blow to the City by snubbing the London Stock Exchange in favour of New York for its planned IPO, piling fresh pressure on the capital’s bourse after it shrank at the fastest pace on record last year. Aspen Insurance, an underwriting firm which operates out of [...]
Premier League betting wins force Stanleybet into the red January 6, 2025 Betters winning big on Premier League football match results contributed to Stanleybet entering the red, it has been revealed. The Liverpool-headquartered company said a “sustained period of player-friendly sports results”, from the start of the 2023/24 football season, impacted its finances alongside online promotional activity. It added that Stanleybet was one of a number of [...]
Brits buy 50m Aldi mince pies as budget grocer hails ‘best Christmas ever’ January 6, 2025 Aldi has recorded its best festive season ever in 2024, with sales topping £1.6bn in the month before Christmas. Sales at the grocer grew 3.4 per cent year on year, while its seasonal offering rose 10 per cent and its premium range jumped by 12 per cent compared to 2023. Aldi UK’s chief executive officer, [...]
Rolex Price Hikes 2025: What They Mean for Collectors and Buyers January 6, 2025 The watch community has long speculated about whether Rolex would raise its prices in 2025, and now the answer is clear: yes, they have. The adjustments span across nearly all collections, from the utilitarian Submariner and GMT-Master II to the elegant Day-Date and Datejust. While some increases are modest, others are significant—particularly for models featuring [...]
Rolls-Royce shares slip following broker downgrade January 6, 2025 Rolls-Royce shares dipped more than three per cent in early deals this morning after analysts at investment bank Citi downgraded the stock. The analysts downgraded the FTSE 100 giant from a ‘Buy’ to a ‘Neutral’ rating while increasing the price target from 555p to 641p. Despite the stock currently sitting at 576p, the analysts said [...]
Hooray for the super sewer! But it won’t clean up the Thames alone January 6, 2025 The super sewer is here! But it's not a silver bullet to cleaning up the River Thames, writes the Port of London Authority's Robin Mortimer.
A new chapter for Smithfield meat market is something to celebrate January 6, 2025 A new site for Smithfield and Billingsgate Market is not an abandonment of traders, it's an opportunity to grow, writes Chris Hayward.
Elon Musk’s attacks on Jess Phillips a ‘disgraceful smear’, Streeting says January 5, 2025 Wes Streeting has said attacks made by Elon Musk on Jess Phillips over grooming gangs are a “disgraceful smear” considering the Labour minister’s efforts to support victims of abuse. The billionaire owner of social media platform X, Tesla and Space X suggested the safeguarding minister “deserves to be in prison” for denying requests for the [...]
Sport sponsorship: Best deals, who’s investing and 2025 growth January 5, 2025 As 2025 kicks off, the sports sponsorship landscape is brimming with opportunity. New trends are emerging and the environment is ripe for seasoned sponsors to make bold investments promoting new brand offerings. With Premier League clubs preparing for life after gambling sponsors and athlete-driven media platforms gaining traction, the industry is undergoing a transformation that [...]