Next CEO backs Lords battle against National Insurance tax rise January 29, 2025 The chief executive of retail giant Next has backed an attempt in the House of Lords to change the planned change to employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Lord Wolfson has supported amendments to the bill which have been tabled by Baroness Noakes. In Labour’s Budget last Autumn, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the government would [...]
How many days a week is the FTSE 100 spending in the office? January 29, 2025 In an exclusive poll for City AM, Joanna Hodgson surveys major firms to see if hybrid working is still king in the UK A three-day office week is dominant among some of Britain’s biggest companies, with employers spanning insurance, financial services and property continuing to embrace flexible working in 2025, findings from an exclusive City [...]
Starmer must remember humans respond to incentives, not rules January 29, 2025 Rules are important to any civilised society, but Starmer has forgotten that humans respond far better to incentives, writes Paul Ormerod.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer claims the UK economy is ‘turning around’ January 28, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK economy is “turning around” as the government attempts to turn the page on a bruising first six months in power. “The number one priority of this Labour government is growth: growth, growth, growth,” Starmer said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “We have to get our economy working. [...]
Pets at Home: Revenue dips but veterinary arm shows double-digit growth January 28, 2025 Animal care retailer Pets at Home has reported a slight dip in profit due to lower retail revenue, although vet revenue has soared. The FTSE-listed company, which offers both pet purchases and vet care, told markets that revenue fell 0.2 per cent to £361.6m in the 12 weeks to January 2. Retail revenue fell 2.8 [...]
UK dividends fall in 2024 after miners cut payouts January 28, 2025 UK dividends fell 0.4 per cent on an underlying basis in 2024 after miners slashed payouts by 40 per cent compared to the previous year. While headline dividends in 2024 rose 2.3 per cent to £92.1bn, this was thanks to a surge in one-off payments to £5.6bn. Underlying or regular dividends fell to £86.5bn, thanks [...]
Why Chancellor Rachel Reeves opted for the ‘jobs tax’ in the Budget January 28, 2025 The government has frantically been searching for a story to tell on the economy since the turn of the year, after the Budget was so poorly received by both businesses and households.
The stocks and shares ISA millionaires are buying January 27, 2025 Legal & General is the most-held stock among all ISA millionaires using DIY investing service Hargreaves Lansdown, with fellow insurers Phoenix and Aviva joining the firm for the most popular shares. Funds run by Legal & General also make up half of the top funds invested in by the 1,322 ISA millionaires using Hargreaves Lansdown, [...]
UK listed firms issued third-most profit warnings ever last year January 27, 2025 One in five UK-listed companies issued a profit warning in 2024, according to EY, revealing the scale of the challenges facing the business community.
Scotland’s fintech hub is key to the UK’s growth mission January 27, 2025 I may be the cheerleader-in-chief for the City of London, but there's a lot we can learn from Scotland too, writes Lord Mayor Alastair King.