Vitabiotics: Profit cut ahead of of potential £1bn sale December 9, 2025 Profit at Vitabiotics, the pharmaceutical giant owned by former Dragons’ Den star Tej Lalvani, has been cut ahead of a potential £1bn sale. Reports emerged towards the start of 2025 that the London-headquartered business had revived plans to sell itself in a move which valued it at £1bn. At the start of December it was [...]
Ann Summers remains in the red as sales stall and jobs shed December 9, 2025 Ann Summers’ sales have stalled as it shed jobs and remained in the red during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The business has posted a turnover of £93.4m for the 12 months to 28 June, 2025, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after Ann Summers also reported [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Fed interest rates, retail sales, GDP December 9, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog covering the FTSE 100 and other big market moves. Investors are bracing for a crunch decision at the Federal Reserve this Wednesday, with markets pricing in a 25 basis point cut to bring interest rates down to 3.5-3.75 per cent. Forecasters will be taking a [...]
Planning your personal finances in 2026 and beyond December 9, 2025 Partner content, in association with JP Morgan Personal Investing. By Claire Exley, head of financial advice and guidance at J.P. Morgan Personal Investing In the run-up, the 2025 Budget was probably one of the most talked about in recent years. The telltale sign is when friends who don’t usually show much interest are suddenly asking [...]
Black Friday boost fails to materialise for Britain’s high streets December 9, 2025 UK retail sales failed to meet shops’ expectations this Black Friday as pre-budget jitters dampened spending. Retail sales increased by 1.4 per cent year on year in November, against a decline of 3.3 per cent in November 2024 and below the 12-month average growth of 2.5 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). [...]
Are the rich getting richer because the poor are getting poorer? December 9, 2025 Adherents of the zero-sum belief that the rich are only rich because they have taken something from the poor cannot explain why the number of poor people fell massively while the number of rich people rose massively, says Rainer Zitelmann “The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer” – few statements have [...]
The Old Course Hotel is bringing a modern twist to a classic December 8, 2025 St Andrews is known for three things: being the third oldest university in the English-speaking world; sparking the love affair between Prince William and Kate; and being the home of golf. If you’re thinking of checking it out, the famous The Old Course Hotel has teamed up with some impressive experts to create a variety [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Reeves to be grilled, interest rates nerves, Netflix swoop, Employment Rights Bill December 8, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog covering the FTSE 100 and other big market moves. Rachel Reeves is set to be grilled by MPs at the Treasury Select Committee later this week on the Budget while economists will begin looking ahead to the final interest rates decisions of the year to be made [...]
Economic uncertainty leads to dwindling vacancies in London December 8, 2025 Permanent hires in London fell for the eighth consecutive month in November, driven by ongoing economic uncertainty and dwindling vacancies. According to the latest report from professional services firm KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the decrease in hiring quickened in the capital last month, with the reduction in permanent vacancies one of [...]
High earning families at risk of losing thousands due to Budget measures December 8, 2025 The measures introduced in this year’s Autumn Budget could leave a typical high earning family thousands out of pocket, new research has found. According to analysis from wealthtech advisory platform Y TREE, high earners could lose out on nearly £280,000 over the next twenty years as a result of Reeves’ Budget policy changes, jumping to [...]