Rolls-Royce finalises £1.5bn sale of Spanish subsidiary to Bain September 15, 2022 Rolls-Royce has finalised the €1.8bn (£1.5bn) sale of Spanish subsidiary ITP Aero to a group of investors led by private equity giant Bain. Following the £1.5bn sale, shares went up 3 per cent. “ITP Aero will remain a key strategic supplier and partner for Rolls-Royce across both Civil Aerospace and Defence programmes,” Rolls Royce said [...]
Sofa giant DFS suffers big slump in profits after ‘grim year’ amid sharp retail downturn September 15, 2022 DFS said this morning the sofa seller has suffered a big slump in profits. Moreover, the company warned that the industry is facing a downturn as soaring bills mean fewer customers are in the market for a new sofa. DFS said pre-tax profit dropped 43 per cent to £58.5m in the financial year that ended [...]
John Lewis posts £92m loss after ‘unprecedented cost inflation’ September 15, 2022 John Lewis Partnership has posted a £92m loss before tax, blaming shoppers spending less due to inflationary pressures in the first half of the year. This was versus a £69m profit compared to the same period last year, although the partnership said on Thursday it was “not unusual for us” to make a loss in [...]
THG share price dives after cutting yearly profit expectations September 15, 2022 THG’s share price has dived after slashing its yearly forecast, pointing to a slowdown in consumer enthusiasm for beauty and health products, In half-year results on Thursday, the retailer said it anticipates adjusted core earnings of £100m to £130m in 2022, much lower than the £161m it recorded last year and previously expected to match. [...]
Liz Truss is determined to ignore reality and push inflation up with price freezes September 15, 2022 It is hard to believe only a week has passed since Liz Truss made the announcement that was set to immediately define the start of her premiership; a blanket cap on energy bills so that the average household pays no more than £2,500 a year. After being harried for weeks by the opposition parties, she [...]
Ed Warner: How to solve the Hundred and help county cricket with private money September 15, 2022 The Hundred isn’t going away, whatever diehard cricket traditionalists might wish. It’s been cemented into the English calendar until at least 2028 by a television deal finalised just before the arrival of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new chair. Richard Thompson, erstwhile arch-critic of the controversial competition, now finds his room for manoeuvre severely [...]
UK consumer confidence falls into negative territory for first time since 2020 September 15, 2022 Confidence among UK consumers has fallen into negative territory for the first time since June 2020, according to a survey. The Consumer Confidence Index from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) fell by 4.2 points in August from 103.0 to 98.8, the largest decline since the early stages of the pandemic. [...]
London’s FTSE 100 dips after weaker than expected UK inflation September 14, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 dripped lower today after fresh figures revealed UK inflation is cooling. The capital’s premier index tumbled 1.47 per cent to 7,277.30 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 1.66 per cent to below the 19,000 point mark. Traders were [...]
China in three decade oil demand hit amid economic slowdown September 14, 2022 China oil consumption is set to shrink by the greatest amount in three decades, driven by Beijing’s adherence to strict Covid-19 restrictions to tame the virus, the world’s energy watchdog said today. Oil demand will drop around three per cent this year caused by economic activity taking a hit from Beijing’s zero-Covid tolerance policy, the [...]
Stamp duty cuts and a planning overhaul: Estate agents tell us their housing policy wish list September 14, 2022 With Simon Clarke announced as the new housing minister, we asked top estate agents for their housing policy wish lists Simon Tollit, Partner, Tedworth Property Operating in the luxury residential sector of Prime Central London, the last two years have seen a strong domestic market and more recently London has welcomed back international investors. However, [...]