Introduce inheritance tax bands to make system fairer, think tank says October 14, 2024 Demos said these changes would support the government's objective of lowering the tax burden on working people while also making the system "more progressive".
Abrdn: UK small companies are cheapest and best-performing stocks in the world October 14, 2024 The UK smaller companies market is both the cheapest and best performing in the world, new research from Abrdn has revealed. The analysis of Britain’s smallest listed businesses comes as speculation over the Budget have left many AIM stocks sliding, thanks to rumours of a proposed repeal of inheritance tax relief on the junior market [...]
Meet the fund managers: Quality companies at a value price October 14, 2024 In this weekly series, investment reporter Elliot Gulliver-Needham sits down with a fund manager for a Q&A. This week, we’re hearing from Chris Rossbach, manager of the J. Stern & Co. World Stars Global Equity Fund. This is a transcript from an interview you can watch online. It has been edited for length and clarity. [...]
Aga Rangemaster cuts almost 200 jobs as sales cool October 14, 2024 Aga Rangemaster has blamed “a difficult year” and “challenging market conditions” as it cut almost 200 jobs in 2023. The company, which is headquartered near Nottingham, reduced its headcount in the year to 30 December, 2023, from 836 to 660. The latest total comes after the business had employed 907 people at the end of [...]
Wren Kitchens owner sheds 1,000 jobs as profit slumps after Ebuyer sale October 14, 2024 Profit at the group behind Wren Kitchens slumped to its lowest level since 2017 as its sales fell back from a record high and it shed 1,000 jobs. The West Retail Group, which is headquartered in Yorkshire, has reported a pre-tax profit of £35.1m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The total [...]
Giggling Squid laughs all the way to the bank as Thai restaurant chain returns to profit October 14, 2024 Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid returned to profit during its latest financial year as it sales hit another record. The Guildford-headquartered company has reported a pre-tax profit of £1.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. The new total comes after the business fell to a pre-tax loss of £1.9m in the prior year. [...]
Ashmore rebounds thanks to emerging market surge October 14, 2024 Emerging markets-focused investment manager Ashmore saw assets surge over the last three months, turning around a years-long trend of poor performance for the asset manager. Assets under management at the fund house increased by $2.5bn (£1.9bn) over the quarter to 30 September thanks to $3.2bn (£2.4bn) of positive investment performance, with investors only withdrawing $700m [...]
Eyes on the Law: HCR Law revives BLM legacy to forge new path in insurance law October 14, 2024 How do you build a new insurance practice into a firm that never had one before? Bring the personality and culture that pre-merger BLM once had, says the practice head
Zopa and Oaknorth founders warn against hiking capital gains tax October 14, 2024 Raising capital gains tax to between 33 and 39 per cent in an attempt to shore up the government finances “should be resisted” and may “end up lowering the tax take”, a group of 500 British entrepreneurs has warned. In an open letter to the Chancellor, which is signed by the founders of Signal AI, [...]
UK business confidence stands at nine-year high – but signs of unease emerge October 14, 2024 UK business confidence has hit a nine-year high in 2024, according to a closely-watched survey, although firms' economic optimism dipped ahead of expected tax hikes in the Budget.