Autumn Budget 2024: Taxes rocket by £40bn as employers told to pay more October 30, 2024 Rachel Reeves has hiked employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) by 1.2 per cent, as she delivered the Labour government’s first Autumn Budget in office, which saw taxes rise by a record £40bn and government borrowing increase. The Chancellor unveiled the rise – which is set to see the levy hit 15 per cent for firms [...]
Google: AI investment pays off as cloud drives revenue growth October 30, 2024 Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reported increased revenue in the third quarter due to its strong performance in its Google Cloud division. In its third-quarter trading update, the company posted revenue of $88.3bn (£67.8bn), a 15 per cent increase from the second-quarter. However, growth at the firm’s core advertising business lagged the wider group. The total [...]
Bulmers help C&C outperform the alcohol market October 29, 2024 Drinks company C&C has reported results in line with expectations as its core brands Bulmers and Tennent’s outperformed the market. The company has also reconfirmed its commitment to return a minimum of €150m (£125m) to shareholders over the next three years, adding that it has already completed €38m of buybacks. C&C will pay an interim [...]
BP beats estimates despite lower oil prices October 29, 2024 FTSE 100 oil giant BP has reported strong-than-expected earnings for the third quarter. On Tuesday, it posted an underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $2.3bn (£1.8bn) for the three months to 30 September. The figure beat analyst expectations of $2.1bn (£1.6bn), according to an LSEG-compiled consensus. However, the figure [...]
Hundreds gather for Tommy Robinson’s protest which he will miss in custody October 26, 2024 Hundreds of Tommy Robinson supporters are gathering in central London for a planned protest which the political activist will miss after he was remanded into custody by police. Chants of “Oh Tommy, Tommy” and “We want Starmer out” were heard outside Victoria station ahead of the Unite The Kingdom rally on Saturday. The demonstration is [...]
The Capitalist: Paddington Bear’s politics, buildings with phallic names and RIP the pumpkin spice latte October 24, 2024 Corporate echo chambers, controversial buildings with phallic names, Paddington Bear’s true political persuasions and the end of the pumpkin spice latte? Catch up on the latest City gossip in this week’s edition of The Capitalist WORKING SMARTER NOT HARDER We’ve all been there; you’ve got work to do but two hours of your diary are booked [...]
Mark Kleinman: Natwest’s long night’s journey into day is nearly over October 24, 2024 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and is the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week he tackles the end in sight for Natwest, Post Office drama and a nice Swiss role Natwest’s long night’s journey into day is nearly over At last, the end is sight. Sixteen long [...]
Class action boom in UK is yet another disincentive to investing here October 24, 2024 As the country holds its collective breath ahead of next week’s Budget, it’s fair to say that business confidence in the UK is lower than the Treasury might like. Last week, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) reported that business confidence had fallen to a 12-month low, while the Institute of [...]
Lloyds Bank: Lender beats profit estimates as consumers prove resilient October 23, 2024 Lloyds Banking Group has beaten profit estimates as the lender set aside less than expected for souring loans and saw improved consumer confidence.
HSBC’s new boss unveils major restructuring October 22, 2024 HSBC's new boss has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its global structure as Europe's biggest lender also appointed its first female finance chief.