FTSE 100 close: Barclays, HSBC and Easyjet shine on otherwise poor day in London January 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 today gave up morning gains to finish lower before stronger-than-expected retail earnings provided a balm against recession fears. The capital’s premier index fell 0.22 per cent to 7,740.34 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 0.38 per cent to [...]
Barclays promotes Wright and brings in ex- Credit Suisse dealmaker Deasy to co-head its investment banking division January 25, 2023 Barclays has appointed Taylor Wright and Cathal Deasy as new co-heads of investment banking yesterday. Wright and Deasy will jointly manage the business and will be tasked with “deepening client relationships and dealmaking efforts around the world”. They will replace John Miller and Jean-Francois Astier and report to Paul Compton, global head of Barclays’ corporate [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin lashes out at ‘vast disparity in VAT treatment’ between pubs and supermarket alcohol sales January 25, 2023 Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has launched a scathing attack on the government, saying the biggest threat to pubs is the “vast disparity in tax treatment” compared to restaurants and supermarkets. The outspoken chain boss said he was “cautiously optimistic” for the financial year ahead, as the firm published its like-for-like sales in the 25 weeks [...]
Slow fashion: Retailers embrace second-hand clothing to draw in thrifty eco-conscious fashion lovers January 23, 2023 High street retailers are following in the footsteps of their online rivals, offering more second-hand clothes to lure in shoppers wanting to steer clear of fast fashion and hunt for bargains amid a cost of living crisis. The second-hand clothing market has exploded over the last decade to an estimated £6.5bn last year, largely thanks [...]
BP, Siemens and PepsiCo branded ‘hypocrites’ for donating to Ukraine while failing to fully exit Russia January 22, 2023 BP, Siemens and PepsiCo have all donated millions to Ukraine while at the same time failing to fully exit Russia, new research shows. The three multinationals have been branded “hypocrites” and sit alongside 13 other top firms that have both given aid to Ukraine while also retaining their links to the Russian Federation. The research [...]
Tesco launches clubcard data app – and reveals the nation’s favourite meal deal January 17, 2023 Retail giant Tesco has confirmed the nation’s most popular meal deal as it expands its Clubcard service with its own year-in-review tool, following a wealth of outlets and online platforms in presenting users with their personal data for viral appeal. Named Clubcard Unpacked, it will show users a raft of data gathered by the retailer [...]
Ocado: Annual revenue dives to £2.2bn but up on pre-pandemic level as retailer sees strong festive trade January 17, 2023 Online grocery retailer Ocado saw its revenue dive to £2.2bn in 2022, down 3.8 per cent from the previous year, but up by 40 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The online grocery delivery giant managed to claw back some growth with postive Christmas and New Year trading updates. It’s rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s [...]
Ocado set to post grocery growth in latest festive update January 15, 2023 Ocado investors will be hoping it becomes the latest retailer to indicate that consumer spending over the key festive quarter was more resilient than many expected. The online retail giant is set to post an increase in grocery sales over the latest period when it updates investors on Tuesday 17 January. The firm’s technology operation [...]
British retailers cheer Christmas sales, but City analysts warn of coming storm January 15, 2023 Britain’s largest retailers kicked off 2023 strongly last week, posting better than expected Christmas sales, signalling the consumer is holding up a bit better than feared. Tesco’s like for like sales were 7.9 per cent higher, while Marks and Spencer pocketed a 7.2 per cent rise. Sainsbury’s also posted record Christmas sales. Those bumper numbers, [...]
FTSE 100 close: ASOS and Centrica pop to crystalise strong start to 2023 January 12, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 built on gains yesterday that propelled to its highest level since 2018 after a series of British bellwether retailers posted a decent set of results this morning and the owner of British Gas skyrocketed. The capital’s premier index closed up 0.89 per cent at 7,794.04 points, while the domestically-focused, mid-cap FTSE 250 [...]