Sainsbury’s profits takes inflation and cost of living hit as supermarket faces stark choice April 27, 2023 In its full year results for the year ending 4 March 2023, Sainsbury’s pre tax profits fell from £854m to £327m as the retailer battled to keep its pole position as one of the UK’s largest supermarkets. The supermarket giant said it was impacted by non-cash asset impairments, driven by a higher discount rate, and [...]
Scottish Power owner Iberdrola posts £1.32bn profit powered by renewables April 26, 2023 Scottish Power's parent company Iberdrola has posted robust first quarter profit of £1.32bn, a 40 per cent hike on the £940m earnings it posted for the same three months last year.
John Lewis boss vows to keep employee-owned retailer ‘unique’ April 26, 2023 Dame Sharon White has vowed to preserve what makes the John Lewis Partnership “unique,” as the chief of the struggling retail chain outlines how the company plans to navigate the cost of living crisis and retain its customer base. Dame Sharon told The Telegraph retailers were continuing to see the “effects of the pandemic” and [...]
Bank of England’s Huw Pill: Brits ‘need to accept’ they’re poorer April 25, 2023 Bank of England's chief wonk says Brits need to accept they're poorer - or risk stoking further price hikes
Primark owner claims fast fashion still a draw as cost of living crisis boosts sales April 25, 2023 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has reported a slight dip in its adjusted operating profit as the retail and grocery giant felt the pain of soaring inflation and a tough economic climate. For the 24 weeks to 4 March, the group’s adjusted operating profit came in three per cent lower at £684m, compared to [...]
Britain’s renters are the real victims of this inflation and interest rate crunch April 25, 2023 People doubtless would’ve gasped at headlines last week about UK interest rates being on course for five per cent. Such a path looked implausible in March when Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and Credit Suisse’s shotgun marriage to UBS sparked fears of a financial market meltdown. After those events, traders trimmed their expectations of how much more [...]
Nearly every UK business struggling to fill roles amid worker exodus April 25, 2023 Nearly every business in the UK is struggling to hire staff in a sign that the country’s slimmer workforce since the pandemic is pegging back growth, a new survey out last night indicated. Some 80 per cent of 5,000 firms surveyed by the lobby group the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said they ran into [...]
Victoria Scholar: Credit Suisse’s next move, luxury wins and a guilt-free sirloin steak April 25, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things! Today it’s Victoria Scholar, the head of investment at Interactive Investor. Here’s what she has to say: Credit Suisse released its final set of earnings for the period ahead of the CHF 3 billion takeover from UBS in March. The Swiss bank suffered a CHF 67 [...]
Explainer: Why are landlords fleeing the London market? April 24, 2023 We all know these are not great times for the housing market: rents are extortionately high, especially in the capital, mortgage rates are a constant headache, and many see their dream of buying their first property slip away as the cost-of-living crisis eats away at their savings. Against this gloomy backdrop, buy-to-let investors in London [...]
Prezzo shuts 46 branches including four in London as 810 jobs put at risk April 24, 2023 Prezzo will shut 46 loss making sites across the UK including three in London and place 810 workers at risk of redundancy, as soaring energy and a hike in food costs rattle the business. The Italian restaurant chain, which is owned by private equity firm Cain International said that the closures will impact sites where [...]