HSBC and Barclays shares plummet as tariff woes hit FTSE 100 April 3, 2025 Shares in Britain’s top lenders plunged into the red during early trading on Thursday as Trump’s tariff announcement hit London markets. Europe’s biggest lender HSBC was down over five per cent, with Barclays seeing a more than four per cent drop. Standard Chartered was the FTSE 100’s top faller, as the bank’s stock sank over [...]
Profits at DFS shoot up as retailer grabs market share March 13, 2025 DFS has swung back to profit as demand for home furniture has recovered. Share in the sofa retailer rose more than 13 per cent in early trades. The company told markets this morning that underlying profit before tax nearly doubled to £17m in the 26 weeks to December 29, up from £8.7m last year. Last [...]
Oak Furnitureland battles rising costs as sales cut March 3, 2025 Oak Furnitureland remains in the red as a catalogue of issues impacted its sales during its latest financial year. The Swindon-headquartered retailer has revealed its revenue fell by 17 per cent to £236m in the 12 months to the end of June 2024 because of “a soft market, the Red Sea disruption and the subsequent [...]
Shoe Zone shares crash as Budget deals major blow to profit plans December 18, 2024 Shares in Shoe Zone have plummeted to their lowest value for more than three years after the company warning the changes announced in the Autumn Budget has forced it to close a number of stores. The Leicester-headquartered retailer issued a trading update to the London Stock Exchange in which it revealed the impacted that “significant [...]
Shoe Zone: Firm slams Budget tax hikes as it’s forced to close ‘unviable’ stores December 18, 2024 Shoe Zone has said it has been forced to close “a number” of stores following higher costs announced in the Autumn budget. The affordable footwear company said a combination of lower consumer confidence following the budget, plus “significant additional costs” due to the increases in National Insurance and the National Living Wage, have made the stores [...]
US elections: ‘Steep challenges’ for trade as UK exports could fall by £22bn November 8, 2024 Trade experts have warned Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could pose “steep challenges” for the UK’s trade, with exports at risk of falling by £22bn. Ahead of his victory in the US election, Trump said he wants to increase tariffs on goods imported from around the world by 10 per cent, rising to 60 per cent [...]
Insolvencies at fashion manufacturers jump on cocktail of cost pressures October 29, 2024 Insolvencies at UK fashion manufacturers have risen by nearly a quarter in the past year as a combination of supply and demand pressures has driven firms under while customers switch to pre-loved clothing. According to Forvis Mazars, the international tax and advisory firm, over 100 companies went bust in the year to July 2024, up [...]
Shoe Zone shares slide: Profit nearly halves as costs put the boot in October 22, 2024 Affordable footwear company Shoe Zone has reported a drop in revenue and profit as weak demand and high costs weigh on the high street retailer amid a revamp of its physical estate. Revenue fell by 2.7 per cent to reach £161.3m in the year to 28 September, down from £165.7m in 2023. Profit before tax [...]
Why London is a ‘very positive’ story for UK shipping October 10, 2024 More than a quarter of the UK's deep sea shipping cargo travels through London Gateway port, with a ramp up in capacity expected this decade.
Sweet Dreams for bed retailer as sales near milestone October 7, 2024 Sales at bed retailer Dreams increased towards a new milestone as its profit remained steady during its latest financial year. The Buckinghamshire-headquartered chain has reported a turnover of £395.4m for 2023, up from the £387m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its pre-tax profit dipped slightly from £50m to £49.3m [...]