FTSE 100 rises while US stocks mixed as investors await Fed meeting April 28, 2021 The FTSE 100 closed higher after a busy day of results while US stocks are mixed as investors awaited the outcome of the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. London’s blue-chip index closed 0.27 per cent higher boosted by a series of positive earnings updates from WPP and Lloyds. Investors’ focus now turns to the US [...]
WPP returns to revenue growth as UK ad market bounces back April 28, 2021 WPP today reported a surprise return to revenue growth in the first quarter as clients began to increase their marketing spend after a frugal pandemic year. The London-listed ad giant posted a 3.1 per cent rise in revenue less pass-through costs — its key metric — to £2.3bn for the first three months of the [...]
Google owner Alphabet beats revenue expectations as ad spend recovers April 27, 2021 Google’s parent company Alphabet beat Wall Street estimates for the first quarter amidst a recovery in digital ad spend. Revenue rose to $55.31bn in the first quarter from $41.16bn a year earlier, beating analyst estimates of $51.7bn according to Refinitiv data. Alphabet shares rose about five per cent to $2,405 in after-hours trading. Digital advertising [...]
BA owner IAG to power a tenth of flights with sustainable fuels by 2030 April 22, 2021 British Airways owner IAG has today committed to powering 10 per cent of its flights with sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. The carrier group said that doing so would remove 2m tonnes from its annual emissions footprint, which it equated to taking 1m cars from the road per year. It is the first European airline [...]
WPP makes net zero pledge for entire $60bn supply chain April 22, 2021 WPP has pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions across its entire supply chain by the end of the decade in what it said was the most ambitious approach in the ad industry. The holding group said its own operations will be net zero by 2025, with all electricity to be renewably-sourced. Across its supply [...]
Kantar ‘closes in’ on $1.5bn deal for US data rival Numerator April 19, 2021 Kantar is said to be nearing a $1.5bn (£1bn) deal to buy US rival Numerator from buyout fund Vista Equity Partners. The deal, which is expected to be announced imminently, will see Kantar take full control over the Chicago-based market intelligence provider, Reuters reported. Numerator, which was taken over by Vista in 2017, provides market [...]
Zoom: What’s next for the Covid-19 pandemic’s biggest winner? March 18, 2021 There is a moment all marketers dream of when a product becomes so commonplace that the brand name becomes a verb. This achievement was last year bestowed on Zoom, the previously obscure video conferencing platform that almost overnight became relied upon for both work and socialising. It was a year of eye-watering success for the [...]
UK advertising exports hit record £11bn ahead of Covid slump March 16, 2021 UK advertising exports grew to a record £11bn in 2019, new figures have shown, highlighting the strong growth of the sector before a pandemic-induced slump. International trade in UK advertising and marketing research services rose seven per cent year on year, putting it just behind computer services in terms of exports. The figures, compiled by [...]
WPP commits to London headquarters despite plans to slash office space March 11, 2021 Advertising giant WPP today committed to its London headquarters despite wider plans to slash office space amid a shift to home working. The media group, which owns ad agencies such as Ogilvy, Grey and Group M, has said it will look to reduce its office footprint by a fifth in the coming years. Chief executive [...]
WPP resumes £620m share buyback as it eyes return to growth March 11, 2021 WPP today said it would resume its £620m share buyback programme and restore its dividend as the advertising giant eyes a return to growth this year. The London-listed ad group halted the buyback, funded by its $4bn sale of Kantar in 2019, and the payout due to the pandemic. But it today said up to [...]