UK firms shed jobs at fastest rate in three years amid payroll hikes January 6, 2025 Weak demand and higher payroll costs have led to the steepest decline in service sector jobs since January 2021, according to a new survey. Nearly a quarter of survey respondents reported a fall in workforce levels, while 12 per cent signalled a rise, data from the S&P Global UK Services PMI showed. “Service providers widely [...]
Lloyd’s of London insurer snubs the City with New York IPO plans January 6, 2025 A Lloyd’s of London insurer has dealt a fresh blow to the City by snubbing the London Stock Exchange in favour of New York for its planned IPO, piling fresh pressure on the capital’s bourse after it shrank at the fastest pace on record last year. Aspen Insurance, an underwriting firm which operates out of [...]
Premier League betting wins force Stanleybet into the red January 6, 2025 Betters winning big on Premier League football match results contributed to Stanleybet entering the red, it has been revealed. The Liverpool-headquartered company said a “sustained period of player-friendly sports results”, from the start of the 2023/24 football season, impacted its finances alongside online promotional activity. It added that Stanleybet was one of a number of [...]
UK funding for AI startups surges but still lags behind US January 6, 2025 AI startups captured 25 per cent of all UK venture capital funding in 2024, totalling $15.9bn (£12.8bn) – a sharp rise from $3.1bn (£2.5bn) four years ago. Balderton Capital’s latest data shows that 2024 was the second best year on record for AI investment in the UK. The sector’s value has more than doubled in [...]
Buy IAG and sell Wizz Air says broker as British Airways takes off January 6, 2025 Analysts have backed British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) while warning investors away from budget airline Wizz Air in 2025. Panmure Liberum analysts picked IAG shares as their ‘most preferred’ stock within transport, with a target price of 500p compared to its current 287p share price. IAG was the best performing FTSE 100 [...]
H Samuel and Ernest Jones owner cuts loss despite £40m sales hit January 6, 2025 The company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones significantly cut its loss despite sales falling by almost £40m during its latest financial year. The Birmingham-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £483,000 for the year to 3 February, 2024, down from the £8.9m loss it posted in its prior 12 months. [...]
Brits buy 50m Aldi mince pies as budget grocer hails ‘best Christmas ever’ January 6, 2025 Aldi has recorded its best festive season ever in 2024, with sales topping £1.6bn in the month before Christmas. Sales at the grocer grew 3.4 per cent year on year, while its seasonal offering rose 10 per cent and its premium range jumped by 12 per cent compared to 2023. Aldi UK’s chief executive officer, [...]
Rolex Price Hikes 2025: What They Mean for Collectors and Buyers January 6, 2025 The watch community has long speculated about whether Rolex would raise its prices in 2025, and now the answer is clear: yes, they have. The adjustments span across nearly all collections, from the utilitarian Submariner and GMT-Master II to the elegant Day-Date and Datejust. While some increases are modest, others are significant—particularly for models featuring [...]
Arnold Schwarzenegger-inspired Ultimate Performance receives boost January 6, 2025 Ultimate Performance, the gym and personal training chain inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, received a £1m boost ahead of selling a stake to a private equity firm. The Manchester-headquartered upmarket health and fitness group has reported a pre-tax profit of £1.7m for the year to 31 March, 2024, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The new [...]
Dua Lipa now worth over £100m despite major drop January 6, 2025 Pop star Dua Lipa saw her earnings slashed by more than £40m in the year between her popular live tours, it has been revealed. Turnover at the singer’s production company, Radical22 Live, fell significantly from £51.5m to £8.4m in the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that the [...]