HSBC shares jump as lender ups bad loan provisions after tariff chaos April 29, 2025 HSBC shares rose in early trading after the lender increased provisions for loan losses in its first-quarter report. The FTSE 100 giant’s stock jumped two per cent as trade war woes clouded the lender’s results. The bank raised expected credit losses to $876m (£653m), from $202m in a stark indication of firm’s outlook on the [...]
Channel 4’s investment arm gives £3m backing to UK fintech Sprive April 29, 2025 Channel 4 has entered the fintech realm after its investment arm participated in a funding round that topped £5.5m. Channel 4 Ventures injected £3m into mortgage overpayment app Sprive, in a fundraiser led by venture capital firm Ascension. The funding aims to assist the early-stage consumer fintech’s in fulfilling its mission to help millions repay [...]
Treasury to scrap valuation quango amid efficiency drive April 28, 2025 The Valuation Office Agency will be folded into HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the tax minister has said, in the latest sign of the government’s efforts to trim away fat from the operations of the state. The arms length body responsible for valuing properties to determine tax rates, which spans £60bn worth of valuation each [...]
EY: Two years of slow UK growth means ‘increased chances’ of tax rises April 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves may have to resort to reversing Labour manifesto tax pledges as UK growth fails to exceed one per cent for two years running, EY ITEM Club have said, in the latest blow to the chancellor’s fiscal plans The Chancellor has been warned by several forecasters that President Trump’s tariffs will hammer the UK [...]
The Ivy owner sheds jobs as potential £1bn sale drags on April 28, 2025 The group behind restaurant chain The Ivy shed 300 jobs as billionaire owner Richard Caring continues to weigh a £1bn sale, it has been revealed. The business has only just published its financial accounts for 2023, seven months after the Companies House deadline. The results show The Ivy’s owner cut its headcount from 5,962 to [...]
Starbucks: UK’s largest franchise more than doubles profit ahead of takeover April 28, 2025 Sales jumped towards £100m and profit more than doubled at the UK’s largest Starbucks franchise in the year before the US coffee chain took it over, it has been revealed. 23.5 Degrees has reported a turnover of £93m for the 12 months to 31 August, 2024, up from the £83.5m it achieved in the prior [...]
Plus500 raises guidance despite revenue dip April 28, 2025 Fintech group Plus500 has raised its outlook for the year despite reporting a mixed start to the year. Its share price dipped 1.6 per cent in early trades. The company told markets this morning that revenue in the first quarter of the year increased by 13 per cent month on month but fell by five [...]
US tariffs threaten to derail UK economic growth, EY warns April 28, 2025 UK economic growth could slow sharply over the next two years as US tariffs weigh heavy on spending and investment, and uncertainty washes over households and businesses, new forecasts show. Recovery from a period of stagnant growth will be directly hampered by US President Donald Trump’s plans, EY Item Club said in a new report. [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines Diary: Even students can enjoy great wines April 25, 2025 I feel for final year University students right now. When the world is just waking up to those stirrings of spring and longer, sunnier days, they are finishing lengthy dissertations or beginning to cram for exams. Undoubtedly, having left it until the eleventh hour, the next few weeks for many will be spent tangled in [...]
Businesses, get back to work! WFH is harming young people April 25, 2025 If you care about young people, get your workers back to the office. WFH is hindering their development, writes Joanna Jensen.