Financing growth? How the City’s frailties have hamstrung productivity October 1, 2024 Championing the UK's financial system should not obscure the fact that there is plenty of room for improvement.
Smeg: Sales cool at kitchenware brand as high interest rates ‘stifle’ demand September 30, 2024 The UK arm of kitchenware brand Smeg suffered lower than expected sales during its latest financial year after increasing interest rates ‘stifled demand’ for its products. The Abingdon-based division has reported a turnover of £65.2m for 2023, down from the £67.2m it posted for 2022. The new total is a step back from Smeg’s previously [...]
Profit slashed at King Charles’ bed maker Sleepeeze ahead of takeover September 30, 2024 Profit at Sleepeeze, King Charles’ favoured bed maker, was slashed by more than 50 per cent in the year before it was acquired, it has been revealed. The Kent-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax profit of £159,261 for 2023, down from the £360,565 it reported for 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its [...]
Markets doubt Bank of England’s cautious approach to interest rates September 30, 2024 The Bank of England held interest rates at five per cent last week, having cut rates for the first time since the pandemic back in August.
How private equity swallowed up the UK – and why it’s unsettling regulators September 30, 2024 Private equity has been buying more and more of the UK over the past decade, with thousands of listed or private businesses now snapped up by buyout funds and venture capital investors. Iconic British businesses like Morrisons, Pret A Manger and Asda have been swallowed up by private capital, with deals like the takeover of [...]
Gofundme: Brits open wallets to bankroll small businesses September 30, 2024 If there’s one thing Britain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has figured out, it’s how to leverage the power of community.
Business confidence ticks down ahead of Budget September 30, 2024 Business confidence dropped to a three-month low in September, in yet another sign of firms adapting to the sombre tone ahead of the Budget.
Labour’s relationship with business was never a love match September 30, 2024 A shambolic ‘business day’ at Labour Party conference reveals the government’s true feelings about the City, says Eliot Wilson Only those addicted to Sir Keir Starmer’s own-brand Flavor Aid would claim that last week’s Labour Party conference was an unqualified success. Assessments were mixed, but it was not the joyful fiesta a new government might [...]
Labour looks to water down packaging tax plan September 29, 2024 Ministers are set to make changes to a planned £1bn packaging tax proposed by the last government, according to reports.
Housing is an opportunity, not a problem September 28, 2024 Operating in a sector so often labelled as ‘in crisis’, it’s easy to forget that housing is a safer investment than many realise, says Chris Benn City grandee Sir Nigel Wilson published a report this month that outlined how Britain will need to invest £1tn over the next decade to realise its growth potential. It’s [...]