BP makes almost $4bn from energy trading as oil demand wanes March 11, 2021 BP’s trading division is said to have made almost $4bn (£2.8bn) last year as the oil major weathered the impact of the pandemic on oil demand. The blue-chip giant’s trading profit was only just short of the record amount of slightly over $4bn it made in 2019, according to internal documents seen by Reuters. Trading [...]
‘Unacceptable’ Heathrow queues risk UK’s economic recovery, airport says March 10, 2021 Heathrow’s chief operating officer has today said that the length of delays currently facing travellers at the UK’s biggest airport were “unacceptable”. Speaking to MPs at the Home Affairs Select Committee today, Emma Gilthorpe said that some people were having to queue for three to six hours to pass through border control. And she warned [...]
Brits ‘to boost UK GDP by £16bn in post-lockdown spending’ as excess savings balloon to £160bn March 10, 2021 Brits to boost UK GDP by £16bn in post-lockdown spending as excess savings balloons to £160bn
Next snaps up stake in womenswear brand Reiss for £33m March 10, 2021 High street giant Next has acquired a stake in womenswear retailer Reiss for £33m. The fashion firms this morning announced that Next will purchase a 25 per cent equity stake in Reiss. Warburg Pincus, Reiss’s private equity owner, said the deal values the company at around £200m. As part of the strategic partnership, Reiss will [...]
Zara owner Inditex posts 70 per cent drop in net profit during pandemic March 10, 2021 Zara owner Inditex this morning posted a 70 per cent drop in net profit after a year of trading restrictions and weak demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The European retail giant said profit last year fell to €1.1bn, a steeper drop than anticipated, due to the impact of store closures during global Covid-19 lockdowns. Total [...]
Euros football tournament could mark post-Covid ‘London renaissance’, says minister March 9, 2021 Euros football tournament could mark post-Covid 'London renaissance', says minister
Clash of the consultants: Secretariat sues rival over fake Glassdoor review March 9, 2021 Consultancy firm Secretariat is suing rival HKA, after one of the bosses allegedly posted damaging reviews about Secretariat on website Glassdoor. Secretariat has filed a lawsuit in California alleging that Toby Hunt, who is partner, chief business development officer and head of Europe at HKA, made damaging comments on employer review site Glassdoor while posing [...]
Pandemic wipes almost £1bn off Covent Garden landlord Capco’s portfolio March 9, 2021 West End landlord Capital & Counties suffered a sharp drop in its property values last year, wiping almost £1bn of its portfolio. Capco, which owns Covent Garden, reported this morning that its total property value last year was £1.9bn, down from £2.8bn in 2019. The total property value of Covent Garden fell 27 per cent [...]
Virgin Games and Monopoly Casino owner Gamesys cashes in on pandemic betting March 9, 2021 The company behind gambling brands Virgin Games and Monopoly Casino today posted a sharp rise in revenue and profit as it cashed in on increased betting during the pandemic. London-listed Gamesys posted revenue of £727.7m in 2020, an increase of 75 per cent on the previous year. Adjusted net profit surged 86 per cent to [...]
City office floorspace surges as developers back the Square Mile’s future March 9, 2021 The City of London Corporation has today (9 March) revealed that, so far this year, it has given planning consent for the equivalent of almost 80% of the total office floorspace it approved for the whole of last year; demonstrating the City office market remains resilient despite new ways of working being adopted throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The City [...]