Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta: Is big tech overspending on AI? February 7, 2025 Tech titans have projected pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence (AI) in 2025, yet Wall Street impatiently awaits returns on their investments. Amazon is leading the charge, having recently committed over $100bn to AI infrastructure this year, surpassing Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. The four tech behemoths reported a combined $246bn investment in AI in [...]
Week in Business: Growth hammer blow means Reeves must change course February 7, 2025 If the Chancellor was still on a high from last week’s big growth-focused speech, the Bank of England has just pulled her back down to earth and, for good measure, poured a bucket of cold water over her. This is a time for hard truths and none harder than the hammer-blow fact that the Bank [...]
M&S revamps leadership team in next chapter of transformation February 7, 2025 Marks and Spencer has announced significant changes to its non-food leadership team as it enters the next phase of its turnaround project. Clothing and home director, Richard Price, will be replaced by ex-Boohoo CEO, John Lyttle. Lyttle headed Boohoo for five years, but left last Autumn amid claims of “corporate espionage”, with allegations he was [...]
Netflix eyes Formula 1 TV rights deal after Drive to Survive success February 7, 2025 Netflix could soon advance their Formula 1 offering beyond Drive to Survive with the streaming giant plotting a move for live TV rights. Having dipped their toe into live boxing, showing Mike Tyson’s bout with Jake Paul, and Christmas Day NFL, the streaming service appears to be interested in the US rights for Formula 1. [...]
Stagflation: Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces mess of her own making February 7, 2025 The Bank now expects the UK economy to grow 0.7 per cent this year, cut from a previous estimate of 1.5 per cent. Inflation, meanwhile, will hit 3.7 per cent later this year.
Will AI change how you watch the Super Bowl? February 7, 2025 From AI-generated game stats to augmented reality viewing experiences, technology is changing how we interact with sports, says Nicole Junkermann On 15 January 1967, when the legendary quarterback Bart Starr made his second touchdown of the match to clinch the game for the Green Bay Packers, America’s first-ever Super Bowl was watched by a stadium [...]
Wales beyond embarrassment, they need to show Six Nations fight February 7, 2025 I couldn’t concur more with former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar when he said their Six Nations clash with Italy this weekend is the team’s biggest game in the last 20 years. On paper this match should be a walk in the park for Wales; the last time they lost to Italy on the continent was [...]
Motor finance: Close Brothers calls on magic circle law firm for court battle February 6, 2025 Close Brothers has swapped in a top magic circle law firm for its Supreme Court battle to overturn the landmark motor finance test case.
Why the Bank of England slashed its growth forecasts February 6, 2025 The Bank of England delivered Chancellor Rachel Reeves a mixed blessing on Thursday. Alongside cutting interest rates by 25 basis points, Bank officials halved the UK’s expected growth rate in 2025 to 0.7 per cent from a previous estimate of 1.5 per cent. This will come as a blow to Reeves, who has staked her [...]
Gucci design chief De Sarno steps down as Kering targets turnaround February 6, 2025 Kering has parted ways with Gucci’s creative director Sabato de Sarno, two years after he was hired to lead a turnaround at the beleaguered brand. Sarno joined the brand in 2023 to replace Alessandro Michele, whose maximalist and genderfluid designs had defined the fashion house during his seven-year run. However, Sarno’s more paired-back direction failed [...]