The burden of business rates falls unfairly on the West End April 4, 2019 This week, UK retailers received one of their biggest tax bills of the year. The consequences of the 2017 revaluation of business rates will again be felt, with a further hike of nearly 50 per cent for some companies. Retailers in London’s West End and Mayfair will once again be hardest hit, paying the lion’s [...]
CYBG operations chief Debbie Crosbie becomes the new CEO of TSB after the bank’s IT meltdown November 19, 2018 TSB has hired a banking veteran as its new chief executive, bringing its months-long search for the role to a close. Debbie Crosbie will join the challenger bank from Clydesdale Yorkshire Banking Group (CYBG), ending her tenure of 20 years at the financial services firm where she currently resides as chief operating officer. Rumoured candidates for the [...]
FTSE 100 roundup: Today’s winners and losers February 1, 2019 The FTSE 100 finished 0.74 per cent up today, nudging just above 7,000 points to finish on 7,020.22. The index was bolstered by weakness in the pound after the release of further disappointing manufacturing statistics this morning. Sterling has had a tough end to an already difficult week, falling 0.3 per cent against the dollar, striking a [...]
Barber boom bucks high street struggles as demand for male hair grooming jumps November 18, 2018 A boom in barber shops is helping to revive the stricken high street, fuelled by the growing demand for hipster beards. Male hair grooming is now one of the fastest-growing retail sectors, as young men – especially workers in the City – care more than ever about the state of their face fuzz. The rise in [...]
Trust me, we’ve been thinking about market power and competition all wrong November 13, 2018 Economists, politicians, and commentators on both sides of the Atlantic are growing more concerned with the supposed “monopolisation” of the economy. In a 2017 report, the Social Market Foundation found that eight of 10 key British markets, including in phones, gas and groceries, were highly dominated by small numbers of companies. Its director, James Kirkup, [...]
Morrisons keeps income investors happy March 18, 2019 By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. After flagging another special dividend with annual results, there are opportunities for this grocer. In an eventful and turbulent period for the grocery sector, Morrisons (LSE:MRW) continues to hold its own after unveiling further robust profits growth and another special divi for investors. Today’s full-year results, despite drifting back [...]
London coding security startup Snyk lands $22m series B from Accel September 25, 2018 Open source security startup Snyk today closed a $22m (£16.7m) series B funding round, led by Accel with participation from GV. Existing investors such as Boldstart Ventures and Heavybit also joined the round. With big names such as ASOS, Skyscanner and Auth0 among its clients, enterprise developers use Snyk to vet the security of [...]
Cash machine ruling hits London councils with £60m rebate November 19, 2018 London councils are to cough up a hefty rebate to retailers following a recent court ruling that decided firms should not be liable for business rates on cash machines outside their stores. Nearly 2,400 supermarkets, small shops and petrol stations are set for a £60m windfall from London’s councils following a five-year legal dispute which [...]
Tesco share price rises as it resumes dividend as profits rise to £562m in first half October 4, 2017 Tesco has resumed its dividend for the first time in three years today, after reporting a 667 per cent increase in pre-tax profit in the first six months of the year. Read more: This is how City analysts are reacting to Tesco’s did announcement The figures Profit before tax rose to £562m from £71m this [...]
Morrisons recovery continues September 13, 2018 Morrisons shares are lower today despite the company reporting a strong set of first-half figures. Same-store-sales for the six-month period jumped by 4.9% and second-quarter sales jumped by 6.3% – a nine year high. Stripping out one-off adjustments, profit increased by 9% to £193 million. When you factor in debt restructuring costs and charges relating [...]