Hut Group outperforms expectations as questions are raised about boss’s income January 12, 2021 The Hut Group (THG) had a good Q4 2020, enjoying revenue growth of 51 per cent year-on-year, outperforming previous guidance of 40-45 per cent. THG, which owns a range of online beauty and nutrition brands like MyProtein and Lookfantastic, delivered Q4 2020 group revenue of £558.7m, versus £370.0m in Q4 2019. Revenue was boosted by [...]
Huawei set for year of transition amid ‘technological Cold War’ January 11, 2021 Huawei will likely transition towards software as a “technological Cold War” controls the hardware supply, shifting the company’s prospects for 2021, analysts have said. Harsh US sanctions on China have hit suppliers of chips, which are crucial to mobile phone production, and forced the tech giant to look to other avenues. Ben Wood, chief of [...]
British Land ‘bruised but not broken’ despite collecting less than half of rent from UK retailers January 11, 2021 British Land will emerge from the pandemic intact despite collecting less than half the rent it is owed for December, according to a City analyst.
Rishi Sunak calls for return to ‘sustainable finances’ ahead of March budget January 11, 2021 Rishi Sunak has reiterated the need to return to “sustainable” levels of government spending as he foreshadows future Budget cutbacks. Sunak told City A.M.’s The City View podcast in an exclusive interview that the Treasury’s £280bn Covid spending over the past year was “the right thing to do”, but that “over time” he had to [...]
The week ahead, 11-15 January: FTSE housebuilders, Asos, Tesco and UK GDP January 10, 2021 London’s markets started the new year in a frenzy last week, picking up over five per cent and closing the gap on their counterparts around the world. This week is set to be a busy one for the FTSE, with a raft of companies due to provide updates, as well as key economic data in [...]
UK house prices end 2020 on record high but growth slows January 8, 2021 UK house prices ended 2020 on a record high, but the pace of growth slowed towards the end of the year, the latest figures showed. House prices in the UK were 0.2 per cent higher in December than the previous month, reaching an average value of £253,374. On an annual basis, property prices jumped six [...]
Scandinavian fund EQT join race for First Group’s US businesses January 7, 2021 A Scandinavian fund has joined the bidding for transport operator First Group’s US assets, which are valued at £2.5bn. Sky News reported that EQT Infrastructure made a $3.7bn bid for the First Transit and First Student in the days leading up to Christmas. The fund, which is run by one of Scandinavia’s most powerful equity [...]
Competition watchdog to probe Nvidia’s $40bn Arm takeover January 6, 2021 The UK competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Nvidia’s $40bn (£29bn) takeover of British chip designer Arm. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said it will look into whether the deal could lead to Arm withdraw, raising prices or reducing the quality of its services to Nvidia’s competitors. “The chip technology industry is [...]
Rishi Sunak rolls out more financial support after sinking businesses demand immediate lifeline January 5, 2021 Rishi Sunak has set out plans to offer more financial support to businesses struggling under England’s third nationwide lockdown. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are set to receive a one-off grant of up to £9,000 per property to help them survive. Taxpayers will fork out another £4bn for the business grants, which will benefit more [...]
Confusion risk: the next frontier January 4, 2021 When people talk about the frontiers of FinTech, they usually mean new technologies or processes; something that changes the way we do things and causes wonderment. Usually, the last thing they think about is legal and regulatory issues. As 2021 dawns, this is going to change. Except perhaps the lack of wonderment about regulation. New [...]