Matalan deal done but founder Hargreaves won’t be coming back January 16, 2023 A long-awaited debt-for-equity swap which will save retailer Matalan has been confirmed – but founder John Hargreaves, who has been around the business for forty years, will not be part of the new management structure. Hargreaves had tried to put a bid together with Elliot Advisers to take over the business. But a host of [...]
Brits switch to social media for music as concerts go meta, says Brit Awards sponsor Mastercard January 16, 2023 Younger Brits are more likely to get their music recommendations from social media with TikTok and Instagram the most popular platforms. According to a new report by Mastercard 56 per cent of those aged 16-24 found their favourite music online. The report by the Brits Awards sponsor claims social media is overtaking physical concerts and [...]
Davos: Energy prices will remain above pre-Covid levels but they will be less volatile says Equinor boss January 16, 2023 The boss of one of one of the world’s largest energy companies has warned that high energy prices are here to stay. Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor – which is bigger than BP, made his comments ahead of the Davos World Economic Forum conference in Switzerland. Opedal, who was speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today [...]
Saving: Reforms needed to extend benefits of UK tax breaks beyond wealthier ‘top 10 per cent’ January 16, 2023 A shake-up of incentives to help people save is needed to help more households build resilience against financial shocks, according to a think tank. The struggle to save is a particular problem for low to middle-income households, with those in the bottom half of the income distribution typically having £3,000 of savings per adult, the [...]
London’s streets aren’t paved with gold but we do help direct investment across the UK January 16, 2023 London is often seen as a sponge, taking up crucial state funding, but the capital has some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country, even if it does drive investment, writes Nicholas Lyons
House prices back on upward march to race past £667,000 in London January 16, 2023 House prices are back on an upward march, sending the cost of the average home in London to over £667,000, a new survey out today shows. Search site Rightmove said today house prices in the capital jumped 0.2 per cent over the last month and 6.1 per cent annually. On a nationwide basis, prices climbed [...]
British retailers cheer Christmas sales, but City analysts warn of coming storm January 15, 2023 Britain’s largest retailers kicked off 2023 strongly last week, posting better than expected Christmas sales, signalling the consumer is holding up a bit better than feared. Tesco’s like for like sales were 7.9 per cent higher, while Marks and Spencer pocketed a 7.2 per cent rise. Sainsbury’s also posted record Christmas sales. Those bumper numbers, [...]
Deliveroo shares in the spotlight this week as analysts say firm could be undervalued January 15, 2023 Investors will be watching Deliveroo’s share price this week when the firm releases a fourth quarter trading update on Thursday. The London-headquartered firm has been under pressure since floating on the stock market in 2021, with the share price down some 67 per cent from the original offer price. Competitors, the re-opening of society post-lockdown [...]
Why UK banks are not going to cause another financial crisis January 15, 2023 UK banks are better prepared to withstand a jump in home loan defaults, cooling fears of a repeat of the financial crisis, analysts have told City A.M. Strict affordability rules implemented after the 2008 banking crash have strengthened lenders’ loan books, meaning they are well insulated from a potential rise in defaults caused by last [...]
Revealed: Brits are paying the highest electricity bills in the entire world January 14, 2023 New research reveals that the UK has the highest electricity bills. Brits pay more for their power than anywhere else on the planet. A new study looked at Government data on electricity and gas prices from the past five years to analyse the impact of the worsening cost of living crisis and discover which countries [...]