Insolvencies at ‘jaw dropping’ level as debt industry warns UK economy ‘is not out of the woods yet’ April 18, 2023 More companies in England and Wales entered insolvency during March than at any point since monthly records started three years ago, according to official data that showed a 16 per cent increase on a year ago. The Insolvency Service reported 2,457 corporate insolvencies last month, up from 1,784 in February. The rate of companies falling into insolvency [...]
Halfords share price soars as retailer’s motoring offering woos cash-strapped Brits April 18, 2023 Halfords‘ share price soared over eight per cent this morning as the motoring and cycling giant revealed its sales could top £1.9bn. The Birmingham headquartered retailer, which has seen its shares slide 30 per cent in the last year, said it expected pre-tax profits to come in at around £90m to £110m, up from £50m [...]
THG shrugs off £495m operating loss as luxury retailer mulls Apollo buyout April 18, 2023 THG has revealed an operating loss of £495.6m as the online retailer admitted having to fork out for soaring international delivery costs and a strategic review of its stock The London-listed e-commerce platform posted a 2.7 per cent jump in group revenues to £2,239.2m, compared to £2,179.9m the previous year, as the company undergoes a [...]
FTSE 100 close: THG skyrockets 40 per cent while miners edge London index higher April 17, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a fresh week in muted fashion today, inched higher by investors snapping up shares in mining giants, while fashion firm THG skyrocketed more than 40 per cent on mounting takeover rumours. The capital’s premier index added 0.1 per cent to close at 7,879.52 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 [...]
Quiz takes a dressing down as fashion retailer sounds warning over cost of living April 17, 2023 High street retailer Quiz blamed high inflation and a knock in consumer confidence for a dip in like-for-like revenues during the first two months of the year. The clothing brand sounded a note of optimism, stating its trading remained consistent with that of pre-pandemic levels. The London-listed retailer’s group revenue rose 17 per cent to [...]
Crisis, what crisis? Interest income boosts US banks as boon expected to continue April 16, 2023 The largest US banks appear in rude health despite concerns about the wider financial sector as higher interest rates continue to boost lenders. JP Morgan, Citi and Wells Fargo all beat expectations when they released results for the first quarter on Friday. In response, analysts at UBS wrote “crisis, what crisis? The banking industry flexes [...]
HSBC’s exit from French retail market set to face delays as ‘unexpected interest rate rises’ force Cerberus to find more cash April 14, 2023 HSBC’s exit from the French retail market has been thrown into doubt after Cerberus Capital said it will need to stump up more cash to fund the transaction as a result of rising interest rates. In a statement today, HSBC said “unexpected interest rate rises” have forced Cerberus to significantly increase the amount of capital [...]
Marks and Spencer forced to pull item from website after it ‘rips off’ pub group’s logo April 14, 2023 M&S has removed a clothing item from its website after a pub company accused the retailer of “ripping it off”. Pub group The Craft Beer Co said in a tweet on Thursday that M&S had used its logo in a men’s T-shirt it was selling in its online store. The Craft Beer Co said: “Hey [...]
Profits Superdry up and share price plunges as retailer plans to cut costs by £35m and fundraise out of a hole April 14, 2023 Fashion chain Superdry has warned over its profits and revealed plans to cut costs by more than £35 million after struggling against dampened consumer spending. The retailer said it was considering a fundraise in a bid to shore up cash to help it “emerge from the current turbulence”. Its share price plunged by around 18% [...]
Tesco hit by inflation and supermarket war with Aldi and Lidl as profit down almost seven per cent April 13, 2023 Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket, was hit hard by consumers tightening their belts during the cost of living crisis, as it reported its operating profit was down almost seven per cent on last year. The London-listed chain said its profit was £2,6bn for the year to the end of February which was down 6.9 per cent [...]