Jaguar Land Rover suffers £3.6bn annual loss as key Chinese market splutters to a halt May 20, 2019 The Indian-owned British automotive giant Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) has posted a £3.6bn annual loss as the faltering Chinese car market weakened significantly. The annual figures were heavily-impacted by a £3.1bn write down in the third quarter, to cover falling demand for newer models, as well as for diesel-powered cars. The figures The car manufacturer, which [...]
Sports Direct mulls legal challenge over Debenhams rescue plan May 19, 2019 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct is looking to launch legal action against Debenhams over a controversial rescue deal secured earlier this month. The sportswear group is set to challenge two company voluntary arrangements (CVA) that could lead to the closure of 50 the chain’s 166 stores, with rent cuts expected on dozens more. Read more: Local [...]
M&S braced for fresh decline in profits as store closures continue May 19, 2019 Marks & Spencer is set to report a sharp decline in profits for the full year as it looks to beef up its online offering amid a raft of store closures. The high street stalwart is expected to post pre-tax profits of roughly £520m in its full-year results of Wednesday, a fall of 10 per cent on [...]
The Restaurant Group sees sales rocket 57 per cent after Wagamama merger May 17, 2019 Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group began to feel the benefits of its controversial Wagamama purchase as sales soared 57 per cent in the year to May. Read more: The Restaurant Group profits fall as like-for-like sales slip Like-for-like sales rose 2.8 per cent, meaning the acquisition of Wagamama for £559m at the end [...]
Morrisons fails to convince despite Ocado deal May 16, 2019 By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. It talks the talk, and a 6 per cent dividend yield is attractive, but can this £50 billion grocer walk the walk? Morrisons (LSE:MRW) offered more evidence of its "ever-improving shape" after a robust trading update and intriguing deal to re-write its online partnership with Ocado. While the supermarket's shares [...]
Burberry shares fall as transformation plan takes toll on growth May 16, 2019 Shares in Burberry fell 4.5 per cent this morning after the firm posted broadly flat revenue and profit in the first year of its major transformation plan. Read more: Burberry keeps momentum from China despite trade war fears The figures Revenue remained broadly flat at £2.72bn for the year to the end of March. Pre-tax profit [...]
Moss Bros gears up for crucial summer season after sales bump May 15, 2019 Moss Bros started 2019 with a bump in sales, the men’s tailoring giant revealed today, as it looks to recover from a spate of profit warnings in the upcoming summer selling season. The menswear firm, which was founded in 1851, reported a 1.5 per cent rise in total sales for the business from the end of January to [...]
British Land swings to a loss as retail troubles hit property values May 15, 2019 British Land became the latest in a string of property giants to reveal a fall in the value of its assets today, swinging to a loss amid turmoil in the retail sector. The FTSE 100 group, which owns developments such as Broadgate campus in the City of London, reported a £300m loss in the 12 months [...]
Walmart mulls Asda IPO after Sainsbury’s merger blocked May 15, 2019 Retail giant Walmart has said it is considering a stock market listing for Asda, just weeks after the supermarket’s failed attempt to merge with rival Sainsbury’s. Walmart International boss Judith McKenna said the US chain is considering an initial public offering (IPO) for its UK subsidiary, but said it was “not rushing into anything”. Read [...]
DEBATE: Is the Tesco boss right to call for slashed business rates and an online tax to save the high street? May 15, 2019 Is the Tesco boss right to call for slashed business rates and an online tax to save the high street? Robert Palmer, executive director of Tax Justice UK, says YES. Tesco’s Dave Lewis is right: the way we tax high street shops and online firms isn’t working. The tax system benefits companies like Amazon and Google, [...]