Investors look through inflation headwinds to focus on strong earnings May 17, 2022 Investors dismissed concerns over inflationary pressures firming in the UK economy and focused on a string of positive company earnings, lifting London’s indexes today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index climbed 0.72 per cent to 7,518.35 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Pubs and restaurants battle to keep prices competitive amid ‘intense pressure’ on margins May 17, 2022 The hospitality sector has warned of “intense pressure” on margins while shoppers have been told food prices could surge as much as 10 per cent. Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman cautioned that shoppers could see an even pricey weekly shop amid historic levels of inflation. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on [...]
Brexit: UK announces plan to kill off Northern Ireland protocol, outrage and disbelief in EU capitals May 17, 2022 Foreign Secretary Liz Truss just announced the Government’s intention to introduce legislation “in the coming weeks to make changes in the [Northern Ireland] protocol”. She told the Commons: “As the Prime Minister said, our shared objective has to be to find a solution that commands the broadest possible cross-community support for years to come and [...]
Back in the black: London landlord Landsec posts record office leasing in capital May 17, 2022 Property giant Landsec has delivered record office leasing in London as the company returned to profit after five years. Pre-tax profit rose to £875m in the year to the end of March, a turnaround from a £1.39bn loss the previous year. Landsec, which is the landlord for big names in the capital including Deutsche Bank, [...]
Brexit tensions rising amid UK-EU trade war drawing closer as Britain plans to kill off Northern Ireland deal today May 17, 2022 Liz Truss is expected to announce the government’s intention to bring forward legislation which rips up parts of the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal on Northern Ireland. It is understood that the Foreign Secretary will make the announcement in a statement to the Commons following a full Cabinet meeting, in an attempt to restore power-sharing in [...]
Are you suffering from re-entry syndrome? How to cope with post-COVID anxiety May 17, 2022 Information and support to help you cope with anxiety brought on the post-pandemic return to ‘normal’. The heights of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated periods of lockdown were extremely difficult for many people. From health concerns to money worries and loneliness, a range of issues placed pressures upon our mental wellbeing. Whilst COVID hasn’t gone [...]
Tesco chief Ken Murphy collects £4.7m: 224 times overall pay of median staff member May 13, 2022 Ken Murphy, the chief of supermarket giant Tesco, received a £4.74m pay packet for the past year, the group has revealed in its annual report. The report, which was filed on Friday morning, said Murphy’s bumper total pay deal was 224 times the overall pay of the median member of staff at Tesco. It comes [...]
UK’s accountancy sector turnovers soar to record highs May 12, 2022 The UK’s accountancy firms generated more cash in March than in any other month on record, new Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show. Turnover in Britain’s accountancy sector jumped 14 per cent from February to March to record highs of £4.13bn. The multi-billion sum comes as a new high for the UK’s accountancy industry, [...]
Clive Bannister set to take over as CMA chair after two-year hunt May 12, 2022 The UK’s competition watchdog is set to appoint former Phoenix Group and HSBC executive Clive Bannister as its chair after a two year hunt, according to reports. Bannister will takeover as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after Andrew Tyrie, the former chair, was ousted in 2020 in a boardroom coup, the Financial [...]
Goldman Sachs: World is entering new era of ‘bigger government’ and ‘higher taxes’ May 11, 2022 The world economy is entering an era of “bigger government” and “higher taxes,” according to a top Wall Street bank. The scaling back of red tape and stronger corporate profits that characterised the global business environment since the 1980s is set to reverse, Goldman Sachs has said. Supply-side reforms pushed through by former British prime [...]