HS2 construction work set to begin despite coronavirus lockdown April 15, 2020 Construction work on controversial rail project HS2 has been given the green light to begin despite the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The high speed rail link was approved by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February after uncertainty about whether it would go ahead at all. Work on the four work packages, which involve many of [...]
Which stock markets sold off the most over Q1 and how do valuations look? April 15, 2020 It’s been an incredibly tough start to the year for investors, with some market veterans describing it as one of the most challenging situations they’ve ever experienced. While markets have staged a recovery since late March, it was a crushing quarter as coronavirus (Covid-19) effectively shuttered the global economy, not to forget the immeasurable human [...]
National Express pulls dividend and secures £800m in new cash facilities April 14, 2020 Transport group National Express said today it was scrapping its dividend and keeping future dividends under review as it said it had secured £800m in new cash facilities. National Express said that two of its workers had died of coronavirus globally and that other members of staff were suffering from the virus. The company said [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan says Londoners neglected by coronavirus self-employed package April 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to demand more financial help is given to the capital’s self-employed workers amidst findings that one-in-three self-employed Londoners will not receive any assistance. The London mayor’s letter, written to Sunak and business secretary Alok Sharma, claims that up to 290,000 Londoners, 12 per cent of the capital’s [...]
Coronavirus: Universities call for state aid with income set to plunge April 10, 2020 The UK’s universities have written to the government to request financial assistance as they brace for an estimated £800m drop in income this academic year. In an open letter sent to the chancellor and the education secretary, sector body Universities UK warned that higher education establishments could lose as much as £7bn in international student [...]
Coronavirus: If we get it right, there are grounds for optimism for SMEs April 10, 2020 The Government have acted promptly and in scale to address the unprecedented crisis we face. In addition to the schemes to protect jobs and certain hard-hit sectors, such as hospitality, some of the schemes are intended for distribution through the banks. These include: Coronavirus Commercial Financing Facility (CCFF) where the Bank of England buys debt [...]
Coronavirus: An economic evolution, not revolution April 8, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic is the defining event for a generation and though its long-term effects remain uncertain, it is fair to say the ‘new normal’ we will return to will be significantly different to that we left. However, change was afoot long before the pandemic altered the way companies think, assess risk and manage their [...]
Coronavirus: A traffic light loosening gives the economy hope April 8, 2020 The strategy of exiting from the lockdown is far too important to be left in the hands of health professionals. The government’s advisors have played very valuable roles in helping to avert the sort of crisis which overwhelmed the health services in Northern Italy. Many who were seriously ill with the virus died unnecessarily because [...]
Coronavirus: The government must outline the way forward April 8, 2020 It is said that it is always darkest before dawn. And with our nation in the grip of the Coronavirus crisis – with the economy sinking, civil liberties restricted, and the peak of infections and deaths approaching – it certainly appears to be a particularly baleful moment for the UK. But rather than dwelling on [...]
Asos shares soar as retailer orders £200m equity raise April 7, 2020 Shares in Asos rose by a third today after the fashion retailer announced a bumper share sale in a bid to shore up its finances during the coronavirus crisis. Asos unveiled plans for a placing of up to 18.8 per cent of issued share capital to protect against a “prolonged downturn” caused by the pandemic. [...]