Much Ado About Nothing: Tom Hiddleston stars in glitterbomb show February 20, 2025 Much Ado About Nothing | Theatre Royal Drury Lane | ★★★★★ Jamie Lloyd’s production of Much Ado About Nothing is a blockbuster of such proportions the entire street outside the Theatre Royal Drury Lane was closed so fans could gather en masse to catch a glimpse of Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. The festival vibe [...]
Retail stocks: Luxury pulls ahead while fast-fashion brands Asos and Primark lag February 20, 2025 Luxury stocks have started to outperform high streets brands once again as investors bet on a luxury upswing. Brands which struggled last year – like Burberry and Kering – are bouncing back, while brick-and-mortar reliant firms like Primark are struggling. The ten largest luxury retailers by market cap have seen their stock price rise by [...]
International trade in the era of Trump 2.0 – how will the ICC adapt? February 20, 2025 Philippe Varin, chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, is stewarding the kind of globalist institution which Trump instinctively distrusts. He speaks to Eliot Wilson about championing free trade in an era of protectionism The International Chamber of Commerce is the world’s biggest representative organisation for business and trade. To establish some sense of scale, [...]
The Week in Business: Is Rachel Reeves to blame for high inflation and job cuts? February 20, 2025 Rachel Reeves might be able to exaggerate her CV but there’s no massaging the state of the economy. We’re in the eye of the storm; a false calm; growth is flat and the labour market is stagnant – but are things about to take a serious turn for the worse? Earlier this week official labour [...]
Lloyds shares jump despite profit slump February 20, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group’s shares jumped three per cent following market open, despite recording a profit hit after the firm set aside additional funds for potential motor finance payouts. The FTSE 100 lender’s pre-tax profit was down 20 per cent at £6bn, compared to £7.5bn in 2023. Analysts estimated the bank’s profit before tax at £6.5bn, [...]
Hays: Profit cut in half at recruiter February 20, 2025 Hays has reported another drop in profit as it struggles amid a long-running in the recruitment sector. Group net fees, a key performance indicator in the recruitment sector, dropped 13 per cent in the six months ending 31 December. Operating profit fell 56 per cent to £25.5m, while profit before tax fell 66 per cent [...]
Consumers’ outlook on the economy drops for fifth month in a row February 20, 2025 Consumer confidence has dipped again in the UK, with Brits’ outlook on the state of the economy dropping for the fifth month in a row. Public expectations for the economy over the next three months worsened to -37 in February, down from -34 in January. Brits’ personal financial outlook dropped to -11 in February, down [...]
Reeves told to improve investment incentives by industry bosses February 19, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been told by top global financial firms she needs to ease investment taxes, sources told Reuters. In a meeting with executives from JPMorgan, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Fidelity, Schroders and abrdn on Wednesday, Reeves was told to improve tax incentives for UK consumers. The latest summit in Reeves’ bid for [...]
London house prices stagnant in 2024 February 19, 2025 This meant the average property in the capital remained stuck at £549,000. Factoring in inflation, London properties lost 2.7 per cent of their value.
HSBC job cuts and bonuses expected on Friday February 19, 2025 HSBC is set to axe a number of investment bankers this Friday whilst rewarding some with bonuses, sources told City AM. Amidst the FTSE 100 giant’s restructure, employees are expecting updates this week on their role’s future with many now looking to Friday – the same day pencilled in for bonuses. According to sources close [...]