Report: Festivals risk losing another summer unless government support kicks in May 29, 2021 Music festivals are looking at another ‘lost summer’, a report has said today, due to the lack of government plans to back insurance for events at risk of cancellation due to Covid-19. The report, by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, calls on ministers to offer a safety net for live [...]
Loyalty penalty on home and motor insurance to be scrapped May 28, 2021 Renewal quotes for home and motor insurance customers will soon not be more expensive than they would be for new customers, in a bid to tackle loyalty penalties in the insurance sector. Millions of home and motor insurance customers lose out if they renew repeatedly with their current providers, according to the city regulator. In [...]
Ranked: S&P Global’s $44bn mega-deal tops list of biggest 2020 acquisitions May 27, 2021 In what was a tough year for businesses across the world, it was a fruitful one for 6,000 mergers and acquisitions. While the pandemic threatened companies of all sizes, some managed not just to survive but to continue growing in the last 12 months. After a year unlike any other, which acquisitions were the biggest [...]
AJ Bell profit soars as it attracts new, younger customers May 27, 2021 AJ Bell has benefited from the renewed interest in investment, boasting record levels of new customers and inflows in the first half of the year. Revenue jumped 21 per cent to £73.9m in the six months to the end of March while profit before tax soared from £22.7m to £31.6m. It came as AJ Bell [...]
Daily Mail group revenue plunges £95m but investments offset the loss May 27, 2021 The group behind the Daily Mail has seen revenues tumble 12 per cent over the past six months, the newspaper group said this morning, but its investments may have offset the loss. The newspaper group raked in nearly £100m less in the six months to 31 March, earning revenue of £547m, down from £642m in [...]
United Utilities profits dip as lockdowns hit water usage May 27, 2021 United Utilities saw its annual pre-tax profit dip by 21 per cent to £383m as it navigated its way through the pandemic. The company, one of the largest publicly traded water firms in the world, said that profits were hit by lower water consumption and higher infrastructure spending. The drop in profit was in line [...]
Aviva reports highest quarterly insurance sales in a decade May 27, 2021 Aviva has delivered its highest insurance sales in the first quarter for a decade, while savings and retirement flows soared to a new quarterly record. The insurance giant said its core general insurance gross written premiums grew four per cent to £2bn while its core operating ratio fell to 90.6 per cent. Its SME sales [...]
English mass event trials only led to 15 Covid cases out of 58,000 people May 25, 2021 England’s collection of mass event trials have been deemed a “real success”, with only 15 positive Covid cases out of 58,000 people. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said the results showed “we’re making good progress along the line to bring the West End back to life again”. The government put on a series of indoor events [...]
Global inflation outlook more complicated than polarised debate suggests May 25, 2021 It sometimes feels as there is little more to be said about the outlook for inflation, such has been the volume of ink spilt on the subject in recent weeks. However, much of the discussion has tended to miss important nuances in the situation faced by different countries. So there are several issues worth keeping [...]
Listed law firm DWF announces two acquisitions as trading beats expectations May 25, 2021 City law firm DWF has resumed M&A activity, acquiring two businesses after a strong year of trading amid the pandemic. The listed firm this morning announced it had acquired compliance training business Zing 365 Holdings for £1.8m, as well as reaching an agreement to acquire BCA Claims & Consulting. DWF said completion of the £2.2m [...]