British Land set to buy retail parks in diversification push April 14, 2021 British Land today said it was exploring further opportunities to buy retails parks and investing more in urban logistics following a surge in online shopping. The London-listed real estate firm cited customer confidence in visiting open-air retails parks where social distancing can easily be managed. A shift in location would see British Land move away [...]
Tesco profits tumble despite surge in pandemic sales April 14, 2021 Tesco’s pre-tax profit fell by 20 per cent to £825m in 2020 despite a pandemic-driven jump in group sales. The UK’s biggest grocer said it incurred £892m of Covid-related costs during the year and repaid £535m of business rates relief. The retailer reported a 6.3 per cent rise in group like-for-like sales, including a 7.7 [...]
YO! food chain to partner with WH Smith as high streets reopen April 12, 2021 Asian food chain YO! is set to trial a partnership with WH Smith this month, bringing to-go food to stores as high streets begin to reopen today. The move signals the food group’s expansion into on-the-go food and away from sit-in dining, as it also has similar partnerships with Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Tesco’s and David Lloyd Leisure [...]
The Week Ahead: Tesco, Coinbase IPO, JD Sports, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs April 12, 2021 Some of the biggest banks are set to report earnings this week, with JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs all due on Wednesday. On a macro level, Tuesday’s UK GDP figures and inflation data from the US are undoubtedly going to be important. Meanwhile, the largest US cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, goes public. City A.M. looks at [...]
This week: Tesco set to report higher sales following pandemic boost April 12, 2021 Tesco is expected to post rising sales this week as its supermarkets stayed open throughout the pandemic. The UK’s biggest grocer may also reveal more muted profits in its update for investors on Wednesday, however, as they are forecast to be broadly in line with last year’s profits. Analysts have predicted that the supermarket, which [...]
Pod Point hires Bank of America to help with float plan – report April 7, 2021 Electric vehicle charging firm Pod Point has reportedly brought on Bank of America to work on a potential stock market float. According to Sky News, the firm could go public at some point this year, with Bank of America working together with Barclays on the deal. Pod Point is majority owned by French energy giant [...]
Rise & grind: Employers splurge on keeping teams caffeinated while working remotely April 6, 2021 Employers kept staff fed and caffeinated while working from home during the pandemic, making up for the loss of coffee and sweets available at the office by expensing Starbucks and Deliveroo orders. Keeping teams fed and caffeinated while working remotely made up nearly 36 per cent of all expenses claimed during January to November 2020, [...]
Panic over: Brits made 117m fewer trips to the supermarket this March March 30, 2021 Brits made 117m fewer trips to supermarkets this month than in March 2020, which was a month that saw supermarket shelves stripped bare as consumers started panic buying ahead of the UK’s first national lockdown. Grocery sales fell three per cent in the four weeks to 21 March 2021, while during the same period last [...]
Bond investors and sustainability: is it all greenwash? March 29, 2021 With issuance of green, social and sustainability bonds expected to hit a record $650 billion this year, Schroders’ Head of Sustainable Credit Saida Eggerstedt tackles the topic of greenwashing. “We are in a boom era for borrowing linked to sustainability criteria,” according to Saida Eggerstedt, Schroders’ Head of Sustainable Credit. In 2020, the global issuance [...]
Asda faces ‘multimillion pound’ hit if supermarket loses equal pay claim March 25, 2021 Asda could be forced to make a “multimillion pound” payout if it loses an appeal on equal pay at the UK’s top court tomorrow. The supermarket is waiting for the Supreme Court’s judgement after it appealed against a ruling that workers in Asda stores – who are mainly female – could compare their pay with [...]