Databricks opens first European HQ in London in bet on UK September 20, 2024 Data and AI giant Databricks is set to open its first official European headquarters in London, as it looks to cement the UK as a key market for growth. The company’s UK staff are set to move into the new Fitzrovia-based office on Monday, ahead of an official launch event on 3 October. While Databricks [...]
Services firms benefit from post-election stability and rosy economic outlook September 4, 2024 The survey put activity in the services sector at its fastest pace since April, extending the current period of growth to ten months.
City deals advisers gear up for rebound after election pushed M&A to four year low September 3, 2024 The City’s deals advisers are gearing up for a rebound in activity in the closing months of the year after election uncertainty pushed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to a four-year low in June, according to fresh figures today. The value of total deals involving UK firms, as either targets or buyers, slumped to £11.8bn in [...]
London hotel occupancy rates return to pre-Covid levels but services inflation fears fueled August 29, 2024 London hotels enjoyed another strong month in July as occupancy rates finally ticked back up to peak occupancy levels seen in summer 2019, but it’s not all rosy for the industry. London occupancy reached 89.3 per cent, up on 84.6 per cent last year and back to peak occupancy levels seen in July 2019. Despite [...]
Oasis: UK economy set for ‘supersonic’ boost with reunion tour including Wembley gigs August 27, 2024 Statisticians can look forward to endless queries about Oasis' impact on the economy after the mercurial Mancunians announced a long-awaited reunion tour.
Growth set to continue as confidence in the economy builds August 22, 2024 A closely watched survey suggests that the UK will continue growing at a robust pace in the second half of the year as confidence in the economy continues to build. S&P’s ‘flash’ purchasing managers’s index (PMI) accelerated to 53.4 in August, up from 52.8 last month and ahead of the 52.9 expected by economists. PMIs, [...]
UK Government doles out £32m for AI projects – after ditching £1.3bn pledge August 7, 2024 The British government has announced plans to back 98 artificial intelligence (AI) projects across the country with an injection of £32m. The funding, which aims to supercharge ‘high-growth’ industries, will benefit over 200 businesses and research outfits. The projects span a broad range, including improving safety on construction sites to slashing railway repair times and [...]
‘Uncomfortable reading’: UK tech growth drags as number of new companies falls by 11 per cent August 5, 2024 The capital registered 6,170 new tech companies in the second quarter of 2024, down from 7,253 in the first quarter and a slight one per cent decline from the same period last year.
Losses from in-store retail fraud rise 2,000 per cent in 2024 August 5, 2024 Reports of in-store retail fraud rose by 545 per cent in the first six months of 2024 compared to 2023, while losses rose an estimated 2,000 per cent, according to new data. Figures from the NFIB Fraud and Cyber Crime Dashboard showed that in-store losses widened from £258,000 in 2023 to £5.4m in 2024. The [...]
UK GDP grows faster than expected in Q1 June 28, 2024 The UK economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter.