FTSE 100 leaps as strong earnings drive index higher April 29, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 was boosted by a series of positive earnings this morning as the index shot up by 0.6 per cent. The blue-chips were buoyed by gains in medical products maker Smith & Nephew, who accelerated to the top of the index after revenue growth in the first quarter. The increase was also supported [...]
Unilever beats sales expectations and announces €3bn share buyback April 29, 2021 Unilever beat sales expectations in the first quarter and announced it will launch a share buyback of €3bn (£2.61bn) later this year. The consumer goods giant said this morning that it secured underlying sales growth of 5.7 per cent in the first three months of the year, beating analysts’ average forecast of 3.9 per cent. [...]
LinkedIn: Barclays, Tesco and NatWest ranked top three UK workplaces April 28, 2021 Barclays has been crowned the best company to work for, followed by Tesco and NatWest, according to LinkedIn’s list of the 25 top workplaces in the UK. The list ranks workplaces on their capacity to build and sustain a long-term career and have been compiled based on actions taken by the platform’s 30m UK members [...]
European business leaders call on Biden to hike emissions cuts by 2030 April 13, 2021 A group of European business leaders and politicians have today called on US President Joe Biden to dramatically increase its commitment to cutting greenhouse gases by the end of the decade. In a joint statement, 107 chief execs and lawmakers wrote: “We, European political decision makers, CEOs, business organizations, trade unions and think tanks, call [...]
Retail investors back Rio Tinto climate accountable proposals April 6, 2021 Retail investors have backed climate accountable proposals from Rio Tinto, which the miner will vote on this Friday, as accountability is pushed higher on this year’s agenda. 71.5 per cent of retail investors have called for chairs and CEOs of the mining giant to be held to account on Environments, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, [...]
UK businesses and researchers team up for £75m technology drive April 2, 2021 UK businesses and researchers have teamed up for a £75m research project aimed at boosting the development of new technologies. The partnerships, led by Unilever, EDF Energy and the Francis Crick Institute, will look to accelerate medical innovations, create greener household products and develop sensor technology for drivers. Backed by a £75m joint investment from [...]
Royal Mail shareholders set for bumper payday in ‘an astonishing reversal of fortunes’ March 30, 2021 Royal Mail shareholders are set for a bumper payday as the company announced it expects to pay them a dividend following a strong year during the global pandemic. The company said it expects to pay a 10p-a-share dividend by the end of the year with adjusted operating profits likely to hit around £700m this financial [...]
Unilever’s new London HQ set to get green light from planning officials March 30, 2021 Unilever’s new London office is set to get the green light from planning officials this week, according to reports. The consumer goods giant’s new headquarters in Kingston, South West London, as first reported by City A.M. will be given the go-ahead by the local authority, after the council recommended its approval. The first phase of [...]
BoE keeps rates steady and dampens expectations of imminent change March 18, 2021 The Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.1 per cent and its bond-buying programme at £895bn, thereby diminishing expectations of changes in the immediate future, with the next announcement not until 6 May. The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep rates at record-low levels. Analysts expected today’s decisions to be [...]
WPP resumes £620m share buyback as it eyes return to growth March 11, 2021 WPP today said it would resume its £620m share buyback programme and restore its dividend as the advertising giant eyes a return to growth this year. The London-listed ad group halted the buyback, funded by its $4bn sale of Kantar in 2019, and the payout due to the pandemic. But it today said up to [...]