Dr Martens share price tumbles 11 per cent as pre-tax profits miss forecasts June 1, 2023 Dr Martens will launch a share buy back programme of up to £50m as the boot maker looks to up investment following a 26 per cent slide in pre-tax profits following bottleneck issues in its US warehouse. The London-listed retailer hit record revenues during the year of £1bn, as sales recovered post-pandemic and it opened [...]
Interest rate hikes triggers house price fall and analysts think there’s further to go June 1, 2023 House prices remain below their August peak as demand softens following a spike in interest in early spring. The annual rate of house price growth slipped back to -3.4 per cent from -2.7 per cent in April, figures from Nationwide show, as the Bank of England’s decision to hike interest rates rattled buyers confidence. In [...]
Recession uncertainty arrests UK business confidence upward march June 1, 2023 Uncertainty about whether the UK economy will tip into a recession caused by sky high inflation and the Bank of England hiking interest rates aggressively to tame it is keeping businesses grounded, a new survey out today shows. A five straight month upward rise in optimism among leaders of Britain’s biggest firms was arrested in [...]
The UK must fight a pattern of degrowth in this new, regional commercial order June 1, 2023 A new regionalised commercial order is emerging, and to stay afloat the UK state must change the way it plays on the world stage, choosing decentralisation and greater strategic clarity, writes Jeffrey Roberts
FTSE 100 close: Softening China economy hits London index as WH Smith and B&M soar May 31, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was dragged lower today by softer than expected data from China signalling the world’s second largest economy is on the wane. The capital’s premier index slid 0.98 per cent to 7,448.01 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dropped 0.45 [...]
House sales drop by almost a third as market braces for slowdown in mortgage approvals May 31, 2023 The number of houses sold in the UK has fallen by almost a third as the market struggles to upkeep the momentum from a surge in sales at the start of spring. UK residential transactions fell 32 per cent in April with 67,220 homes sold, figures from HMRC show, 32 per cent lower than April [...]
Bank of England to surpass Federal Reserve and hike interest rates to 15-year high May 31, 2023 The Bank of England will have to hike interest rates to their highest level in more than 15 years to tackle sticky inflation that will stay above its target for at least another three years, a top Wall Street investment bank has warned today. Researchers at Goldman Sachs suspect businesses will carry on passing on [...]
Goldman Sachs to make another round of job cuts as dealmaking slump continues – reports May 31, 2023 Goldman Sachs is considering another round of job cuts over the next few weeks as the drought in dealmaking continues to weigh on performance. According to Reuters, the layoffs – which would total not more than 250 – could include senior figures like partners and managing directors. The news was first reported by the Wall [...]
It has to be Heinz? Not in this economy, till reports suggest May 31, 2023 Shoppers are continuing to switch to supermarket ketchup, milk and cereal own-brands to cut down on spending amidst the cost of living crisis. Volume sales in store branded products surged 63.3 per cent in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) category during May, figures by consumer intelligence company NIQ show. Food prices have surged since [...]
London businesses most confident in the UK amid economic slowdown May 31, 2023 London businesses are poised to lead the UK economy out of its slowdown, although they remain acutely concerned about the impact of higher interest rates and scorching inflation, a new survey out today shows. Confidence among the capital’s firms slimmed four points to 43 per cent, although that was the highest reading of any area [...]