Under-offer Lookers nets £46m profit amid tough economic headwinds August 22, 2023 Car dealership Lookers, which looks set to be swiped from London markets in a £504m take-private deal, reported resilient trading in the first half against significant macroeconomic headwinds. The UK’s biggest car seller reached an agreement late last month with Global Auto Holdings – an entity linked to the Canadian Alpha Auto Group – to [...]
Cost of living crisis: 63 per cent of Brits now shop at discount grocery stores August 22, 2023 More than half of shoppers now shop at discount grocery stores as Brits continue to seek out bargains amid the cost of living crisis. According to new data released by NIQ, in the last four weeks some 63 per cent of the public shopped at value chains such as Aldi, B&M and Poundland, with over [...]
Ripple Energy unveils record £20m-plus fundraiser for new solar farm August 22, 2023 Ripple Energy has raised over £20m for its new solar farm, the largest amount generated by a co-op for a single green energy project.
FTSE 100 bosses got a £500,000 pay hike last year – but guess who got paid the most? August 22, 2023 The salary of FTSE 100 chief executives surged by 16 per cent in 2022, according to new figures out today. The figures, collated by think tank the High Pay Centre (HPC), revealed the median pay for the bosses of the UK’s top 100 firms reached £3.91m in 2022, a £500,000 jump from £3.41m in 2021 [...]
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on falling house prices, global travel’s acceleration and Netflix’s Sackler drama August 22, 2023 Today, Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, takes the City A.M. notebook pen The only thing being built is negative momentum Rising interest rates, high inflation and the cost of living crisis are starting to take a serious toll on the UK housing market. Just this week, data from Rightmove pointed to a [...]
Retail shares may rise as profit upgrades boost investor confidence August 21, 2023 Retail shares could shoot up over the coming months despite recessionary headwinds, reports from City analysts suggest. Analysts at Peel Hunt said the market was “undervalued,” following a season of profit downgrades issued by major UK retailers that sent investor conference sinking. Many retailers were hit hard by red-hot inflation which led consumers to be [...]
Rishi Sunak says we’ll feel better off next year – but is the PM right? August 18, 2023 Rishi Sunak has pledged Brits will all feel better off next year, as he said he “passionately believes” he can bring down inflation and ease the cost of living crisis. Speaking to the Times, the prime minister vowed to be disciplined on public spending and tax rates in a bid to revive the UK’s economic [...]
Brits think almost half of England is ‘built on’ – but real figure is less than 10 per cent August 17, 2023 Brits think almost half of land in England is built on by towns, roads or rail lines – despite the real figure being under nine per cent, polling has revealed. Six in 10 people in England also say retaining the current green belt should come before meeting housing needs, researchers at Ipsos for the Economist [...]
Aldi on the hunt for 1,700 new staff members as demand for value goods grow August 17, 2023 Aldi is looking to hire 1,700 more warehouse staff this year as the grocery discounter steams ahead with its UK expansion plans. The German value retailer is ramping up the number of full-time and part-time positions at its Regional Distribution Centres and employees will be offered salaries of up to £53,000 per year. Its hiring [...]
Even hiking their fees might not be enough for universities to turn a profit August 17, 2023 Universities are in an existential crisis, losing money and the quality of their teaching. But even the option of hiking fees doesn't look feasible at the moment, writes Will Cooling