North Sea windfall tax hits undermine UK’s energy security goals August 29, 2023 Two of the UK's largest North Sea oil and gas operators confirmed huge hits from the windfall tax last week, in a sign that firms are still being bludgeoned by the levy despite a significant fall in oil and gas prices.
Next week in the City: Prudential, Bunzl and Grafton update investors August 26, 2023 Despite an August lull taking hold of the corporate calendar, Prudential, Bunzl and Grafton.
Wall Street wilts as yields rise ahead of speech by Federal Reserve chief Powell August 25, 2023 Wall Street has slumped despite a blowout profit report from Nvidia, following some mixed reports on the US economy. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3 per cent for its worst loss in three weeks. It nearly wiped out its gain for the week, which had been a bright spot in what has been a rough August. [...]
PureGym: “If we build it, they will come” says gym chain riding out cost hikes August 24, 2023 Value fitness club PureGym appears to have muscled its way through the start of the cost of living crisis with revenues spiking almost a fifth. During the quarter it steamed ahead with its expansion plans to open one new site per week, amounting to 20 new sites in the UK. The business, which offers competitive [...]
Acquisitions help Macfarlane to increase profit despite slowdown in customer demand August 24, 2023 Packaging firm Macfarlane withstood a slowdown in customer demand after strong contributions from a number of recently acquired businesses. The Glasgow-based firm saw its pretax profit increase 13 per cent in the first half of the year while its revenue climbed two per cent. It upped its interim dividend by four per cent to 94p. [...]
Calls to cut taxes show ‘questionable judgement’, economists warn August 23, 2023 Economists have warned that calls from Conservative MPs for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to cut taxes after improved borrowing data emerged show “questionable judgement”. Three backbench Conservatives piled the pressure on, according to the Financial Times, with calls for “personal tax reductions” to “stimulate the economy”. The pleas came after figures from the Office for National [...]
Tax-saving venture capital trusts buck start-up investment slump August 23, 2023 Venture Capital Trusts which allow savers to make tax-savvy early-stage investments have bucked a funding slowdown this year and boosted the amount of cash they are pushing into start-ups.
Ocado unveils price cuts on 200 goods as shares rise slightly August 23, 2023 Ocado’s share price grew just under one per cent on Wednesday following news it would slash prices on 200 more goods to entice customers. In recent months the tech-driven supermarket, which is owned as part of a joint venture with M&S, has been distancing itself from its reputation as an upmarket grocer with the brand [...]
FTSE 100 close: London markets finish in the green despite PMI dip August 23, 2023 London markets rose today despite new PMI data showing a significant slump in UK business activity. The FTSE 100 closed up 0.72per cent after a day in the green, while the FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 1.1 per cent. S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for [...]
PMIs: UK economy slips hard in August as recession warning lights flash August 23, 2023 The UK economy has contracted significantly this month according to a closely-watched index - triggering renewed recession warnings