Can an overseas role help your career prospects? February 26, 2020 Even a short posting abroad can have significant, long-term career benefits. It’s never been easier for people all over the world to communicate; international teams can be connected by email, intranet, phone and even video calls. However, there is still no real replacement for face-to-face interaction. Companies post staff overseas for a number of reasons; [...]
Petrofac posts $73m profit as one-off charges bite February 25, 2020 Oilfield services giant Petrofac posted a $73m (£56.4m) profit last year as a number of exceptional charges limited the firm’s growth in 2019. Shares in the firm rose 1.1 per cent as marketts opened. The figures Reported profit was roughly 10 per cent higher year-on-year, increasing from $64m in 2018 to $73m last year. Net [...]
Treasury mulls new laws to delay end of cash February 23, 2020 The Treasury is drawing up plans to protect the availability of cash amid concerns over declining access to dispensers for older people and those from rural communities. Officials are understood to be in detailed discussions about how to combat the decline of cash ahead of the Budget next month, with one possible option the introduction [...]
MI5 officials limit information they give home secretary Priti Patel February 23, 2020 The Home Office turf war between Priti Patel and the civil service has escalated, after claims that Mi5 do not trust the home secretary. It has been claimed that officials from the security service have limited the number of briefings they give Patel and that they “roll their eyes” when she contributes at meetings. A [...]
Pearson profit falters as US courseware business drags it down February 21, 2020 Education publisher Pearson posted underlying profit at the top end of a reduced guidance range for 2019 today, and warned its ongoing transition to digital will drag profits even lower in 2020. Pearson’s share price sank 4.4 per cent to 558.2p as traders digested the figures. The figures Operating profit halved to £275m in 2019, [...]
Morgan Sindall profit builds 10 per cent February 20, 2020 The boss of construction group Morgan Sindall has put the company’s profit jump down to long term planning and strong orders. The company, led by John Morgan, posted adjusted profit before tax at £90.4m, an 11 per cent increase from 2018’s figure of £81.6m. Dividends rose 11 per cent to 59p per share and revenue [...]
Andrew Stephenson named minister for HS2 February 20, 2020 Andrew Stephenson has been named as the minister for HS2 and Transpennine Rail, the Department of Transport (DfT) has announced via tweet. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a dedicated ministerial post would be created to oversee the controversial high speed rail project, which was finally given the go-ahead after months of delays. [...]
Housebuilders boosted by HSBC stock upgrade February 19, 2020 Shares in housebuilding firms jumped today after HSBC upgraded its view on the stocks, saying the decisive general election result “unleashed pent-up demand” in activity. Berkeley’s share price rose 3.2 per cent to an all-time high this morning after HSBC upgraded the stock from “hold” to “buy”. The bank now has “buy” ratings on all [...]
London house prices: Did your borough benefit from the Boris bounce? February 19, 2020 The increased political certainty offered by the Conservative General Election victory in December has been credited with giving London house prices a “Boris bounce”. This morning the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that UK house prices jumped 2.2 per cent on an annual basis in December, with London house prices [...]
London house prices rebound with 2.3 per cent growth after election February 19, 2020 London house prices grew at their fastest rate in 15 months in December following Boris Johnson’s election win, official figures showed today, as UK house prices also rose. Homes in the capital enjoyed a 2.3 per cent rise to £484,000 after a 2019 full of falls, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The [...]