Car sales sink 40 per cent as 2021 gets off to worst start since 1970 February 4, 2021 Just 90,000 new cars were sold in January, the worst start to a year since 1970 for the UK auto industry. According to new figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations dropped 39.5 per cent last month, with 90,249 cars sold in total. That’s nearly 60,000 fewer registrations than in January [...]
Calls to ‘send Philip Green the bill,’ as pension lifeboat fund begins Topshop assessment February 4, 2021 There have been fresh calls for the government to step in and demand retail tycoon Philip Green to plug Arcadia’s pension deficit, as the pensions lifeboat fund begins assessing the scheme. Earlier this week online retailer Asos said it had bought Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands from Arcadia, which fell into administration in [...]
Asda’s petrol station business sold to EG Group for £750m as part of takeover deal February 3, 2021 The Issa brothers and TDR Capital have announced that they will sell Asda’s petrol station business to EG Group, which they also own, for £750m after they complete their deal to buy the supermarket giant. The consortium announced this morning that the Asda deal is expected to complete later this month, subject to regulatory approval. [...]
Regulators to meet as brokers call time on Reddit-trader rollercoaster February 3, 2021 Hedge funds, small investors and their stockbrokers are bracing for tougher U.S. markets regulation, with officials expected to meet this week to assess the fallout from a social-media driven trading frenzy that has roiled stocks and silver prices. Mass buying by amateur traders over the past two weeks has driven wild price gyrations in companies [...]
Sony raises profit outlook by a third amid lockdown home entertainment boom February 3, 2021 Japanese electronics and media giant Sony Corp on Wednesday hiked its full-year profit outlook by a third as it taps surging demand for video games, music and movies as people feast on home entertainment amid Covid19 lockdowns. Reuters reports this morning. Sony now expects 94bn yen ($8.95bn) in operating profit in the 12 months through [...]
Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon chief executive as quarterly sales hit $125bn February 3, 2021 Jeff Bezos will step down as chief executive of Amazon this year, moving to the new role of executive chair. Amazon today said Bezos will transition to the new job in the third quarter and will be replaced as chief executive by Andy Jassy, who currently leads Amazon Web Services. It came as the ecommerce [...]
Green tariffs alone not enough to prompt UK energy consumers to switch supplier February 2, 2021 Over three-fifths (62%) of UK energy consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service that is sustainable, with over 40% of under 35s willing to pay a premium for sustainable energy, a new EY survey reveals today. The survey, which canvassed the views of 2,000 UK energy consumers to explore their attitudes towards [...]
Covid restrictions drive online food shopping to record high as customers eat in to help out February 2, 2021 Online grocery shopping hit a record 14 per cent share of the UK grocery market in January, as customers bought more food to enjoy from home. The growth was boosted by a 229 per cent year-on-year rise in online spending by retired households. Supermarkets saw sales growth accelerate to 12.2 per cent in the last [...]
Report calls on Government and FCA to ‘consider consequences’ for BoE boss Andrew Bailey over LCF collapse February 1, 2021 The Treasury and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) must consider what action to take against Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and two officials over their handling of LCF, the author of a report about the collapsed fund told MPs today.
Nintendo profits soar as home gaming booms in 2020 February 1, 2021 Video game giant Nintendo saw its profit almost double in 2020 as the world played games at home during the pandemic. The Japanese company said its April to December profit surged to 376.6bn yen ($3.6bn) from 196bn yen in 2019. It reported more than a 10 per cent rise in its Switch games console sales [...]