Next CEO Lord Simon Wolfson’s pay jumps 28 per cent despite profit plunge, shut stores and furloughed staff April 20, 2021 Next boss Lord Simon Wolfson's pay jumps 28 per cent despite profit slump, closed stores and furloughed staff
Primark owner restores dividend as high street stores reopen April 20, 2021 The owner of Primark today said it would restore its dividend and pay back furlough money as it issued an upbeat outlook following the reopening of retail stores. Associated British Foods (ABF) halted its payout last year due to the outbreak of Covid-19, which sparked an almost £1.5bn hit to its first-half Primark sales. The [...]
Tesco slapped with £7.56m fine for selling out-of-date food April 20, 2021 Tesco was slapped with a £7.56m fine for selling out of date food at three of its stores by a Birmingham judge on Monday. The judge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court also ordered the supermarket giant to pay a victim surcharge of £170, alongside the prosecution costs of £95,500, Birmingham City Council said. The penalty was handed [...]
Hammerson collects less than half its rent even as restrictions ease April 20, 2021 Hammerson has received less than half of rent due in the second quarter even as lockdown restrictions ease and footfall returns to pre-pandemic levels. At group level just 40 per cent of Q2 rent has been received, with the UK collecting 48 per cent, France 23 per cent and Ireland 34 per cent. An aggregate [...]
Music Magpie secures new funding ahead of £208m stock market float April 20, 2021 Tech resale site Music Magpie today said it has secured £20m in fresh funding, just days after confirming plans for an initial public offering in London. The online retailer, which allows consumers to exchange old devices such as phones and game consoles to cash, has inked the deal with Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) UK branch. [...]
We need tougher consumer protection to end the hours of hold music when things go wrong April 19, 2021 It might have been for your cancelled two-week summer holiday. Or it could have been that parcel you ordered that never arrived. First comes the disappointment and frustration, then the dread. You are now staring down the barrel of what could be a lengthy, painful battle with a customer service team to get your money [...]
FTSE 100 pushes above 7,000 for first time since Covid crash as Wall Street hits new records April 16, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 rose above the 7,000-mark today for the first time since Covid pummelled financial markets last year. Across the Atlantic, Wall Street again hit new record highs on the back of a bumper set of earnigns from America’s banking giants. Speedy vaccine rollouts and government policy support has lifted investor confidence about a [...]
China records best ever GDP growth in post-Covid bounce-back April 16, 2021 China’s economy grew by the fastest rate in its history as the country left last year’s lockdowns far behind. The world’s second biggest economy saw GDP grew 18.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, compared to the same period the year before. It is the fastest rate of growth since China began tracking [...]
Stimulus cheques from Washington boost US retail spending, but 576,000 file jobless claims April 15, 2021 Stimulus cheques from Washington boost US retail spending, but 576,000 file jobless claims
S&P 500 and Dow hit record highs on upbeat earnings April 15, 2021 The S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes hit record highs on today, as upbeat earnings reports from companies including Bank of America and Blackrock as well as a strong rebound in March retail sales bolstered hopes of a broader economic rebound. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 57.64 points, or 0.17%, at the open to 33,788.53. The S&P 500 [...]