Week in Business: Will more defence spending mean higher taxes? February 27, 2025 Cutting the international aid budget to boost defence spending – sounds like a fair exchange in a time of war and hazard – but there’s more to this announcement than meets the eye. The Prime Minister was deadly serious when he stood up in the Commons this week to declare that the country faces a [...]
Aviva beats profit expectations amidst Direct Line takeover February 27, 2025 Aviva Plc smashed expectations in its annual profit results amidst its landmark takeover of fellow insurer Direct Line. The FTSE 100 giant posted a 20 per cent increase in operating profit to £1.77bn in 2024. The target surpassed Bloomberg analyst expectations of £1.71bn. Shares in Aviva have returned 11 per cent so far this year, [...]
FA Cup final in Riyadh? Why heritage competitions should follow the money February 27, 2025 Sixteen teams head into this weekend’s fifth round of the FA Cup, their fans celebrating shortening odds of a Wembley semi-final appearance and, in turn, final glory. Most will be oblivious to the £2m prize for the ultimate winners of the trophy. Club owners will likely consider this a paltry reward in itself, although broadcast [...]
How to fix London’s growth problem February 27, 2025 Sadiq Khan has pledged to be the most pro-business Mayor ever. Muniya Barua explains how he can turn rhetoric into reality The Prime Minister has made clear that growth is his government’s most important mission. The Chancellor has been busy selling that message around the world and urging regulators at home to get with the [...]
Tariffs unlikely to spark persistent inflation, Bank of England rate-setter says February 26, 2025 Swati Dhingra, a rate-setter at the Bank of England, said Donald Trump’s tariffs would likely push down on domestic inflation as global exporters slashed prices to maintain market share. Dhingra warned that the UK was “particularly sensitive” to changes in imported costs due to its openness, but suggested that the danger of tariff-induced inflation was [...]
‘Delicate time’ for US economy as growth fears build February 26, 2025 The world's largest economy has been the standout global performer for the past couple of years, with growth far outstripping other advanced economies.
The power of compounding when it comes to reaching your financial goals February 26, 2025 interactive investor is the UK’s second largest platform for private investors I’ve been re-reading the brilliant best-selling book Atomic Habits by James Clear – which, if you’re unfamiliar with it, outlines the small, but ‘stackable’ behavioural changes we can make to turn big goals into actionable and sustainable daily habits. Clear explains that this can [...]
Pets at Home shares surge on takeover and watchdog rumours February 26, 2025 Pets at Home shares surged more than 14 per cent this morning as evidence grows that the UK’s competition watchdog is moving toward a positive conclusion for the industry, as well as speculation that private equity firm BC Partners was preparing a bid. A series of bidcos were registered on 24 February with pug in [...]
Workers’ rights? Labour’s employment bill gives workers a worse deal February 26, 2025 Punishing employers doesn't help workers. Left as it is, Labour's new employment bill will only damage the labour market, writes James Reed.
Nine in ten six-figure earners say they are not wealthy February 26, 2025 An annual income of £213,000 has been declared the benchmark for ‘wealth‘ according to new research from HSBC. HSBC UK’s new report ‘Your Money’s Worth: Defining Wealth in 2025’ revealed nine in 10 high earners do not consider themselves wealthy, with only one per cent of the population identifying as so. The top four per [...]