Coronavirus: The Gym Group and Hollywood Bowl latest to tap investors for cash April 17, 2020 UK businesses are racing to raise equity and shore up their finances during the coronavirus crisis, with The Gym Group and Hollywood Bowl among the latest firms to tap investors for cash. According to research by Peel Hunt, there have been 32 equity raises of at least £5m in the UK since the middle of [...]
Invesco chiefs warn listed companies over cash calls April 8, 2020 Invesco has told listed companies they must make a convincing case for raising “precious and expensive” equity during the coronavirus pandemic. A letter sent by the co-heads of UK equities at Invesco, obtained by Sky News, sets out their expectations for corporate fundraising. It came after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced temporary measures to [...]
Coronavirus: Global fashion industry set to contract 30 per cent this year April 8, 2020 The global fashion industry is set to contract by up to 30 per cent this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the latest research. The luxury personal goods sector, including jewellery, watches and beauty products, is set to shrink by 35 to 39 per cent. Eight out of 10 listed fashion companies in [...]
FCA eases rules to speed up company capital raising April 8, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out temporary measures to help listed companies raise cash quickly during the coronavirus crisis. The watchdog said it was likely many companies will turn to capital markets to raise money to support their recovery. Since lockdown measures prevent more than two people meeting, it’s harder to obtain shareholder [...]
Coronavirus: Holland & Barrett under pressure to close stores April 8, 2020 Health food shop Holland & Barrett is facing pressure to close its stores due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Holland & Barrett has been allowed to stay open as an essential retailer during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. However, an online petition calling for the high street chain to shut its stores has received [...]
Asos shares jump after it raises £247m to beat coronavirus April 8, 2020 Fast fashion retailer Asos’ shares shot up today after raising £247m to strengthen its financial position amid the coronavirus crisis. The online retailer announced the fundraise last night as it warned of a “prolonged downturn” due to the outbreak. It said it has placed 15.8m new shares at a price of 1,560p per share. That [...]
Insurance: Hiscox, Aviva, RSA and Direct Line suspend dividends following Bank of England pressure April 8, 2020 Insurance companies Hiscox, RSA, Aviva and Direct Line have this morning announced the suspension of their dividends after regulatory pressure from the Bank of England. Sam Woods, deputy governor of the Bank’s Prudential Regulatory Authority wrote to chief executives of major insurers on 31 March asking them to “pay close attention to the need to [...]
Asos shares soar as retailer orders £200m equity raise April 7, 2020 Shares in Asos rose by a third today after the fashion retailer announced a bumper share sale in a bid to shore up its finances during the coronavirus crisis. Asos unveiled plans for a placing of up to 18.8 per cent of issued share capital to protect against a “prolonged downturn” caused by the pandemic. [...]
Your road map to the Isa universe: Make the most of your tax-free allowance March 10, 2020 There are just 27 days to go before the tax year ends on 5 April. For savers and investors, that means there are only a few weeks left to make use of their Individual Savings Account (Isa) allowance. Introduced in 1999, Isas allow people to invest up to £20,000 into savings each tax year, and [...]
Ant Financial takes minority stake in fintech unicorn Klarna March 4, 2020 The highest valued fintech company in the world, Ant Financial, has taken a minority stake in payments platform Klarna. The “buy now pay later” specialist confirmed that Alipay owner Ant Financial had bought a less than one per cent stake, but refused to disclose how much it is worth. Ant Financial is part of the [...]