How will Christmas dinner be different after Brexit? Here are 2016’s best alternative Christmas cracker jokes December 13, 2016 With Brexit, Donald Trump and mad political party leadership races dominating the nation’s attention, 2016 will be remembered as a year when people really got interested in politics. The final piece of proof? Brexit – surely no laughing matter – has won a joke competition, narrowly beating Sports Direct and BHS (proving that it has even [...]
Tesco share price falls to an 18-year low: What was going on last time it was this low? December 10, 2015 Shares in embattled supermarket Tesco ended at an 18-year low yesterday, having closed down 2.27 per cent to 153.00p per share. The declines are part of an ongoing saga that the retailer has been battling for over a year now, but the failure of the top team to get to grips with the issues has led to [...]
How’s the hangover? Tesco launches hangover stations for all your post-office party needs December 11, 2015 While PRs at Buchanan and Lansons are already dealing with the hangovers from their Christmas parties this month, last night was one of the busiest evenings for corporate dos in the Square Mile this season. This can only mean one thing: a very hungover workforce on Friday. Tesco is giving London's financial district a helping hand [...]
Sterling slumps and stocks jump to end frantic week of trading October 14, 2016 Financial markets ended the week on a considerably calmer footing than they begun, but five days of big movements have shattered the post-referendum swagger which was creeping back to corners of the City. Sterling finished on the back foot, shedding another 0.6 per cent against the dollar to finish things off below $1.22. However, that [...]
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S are among most praised companies by NGOs but VW and Royal Dutch Shell make “naughty” list of most criticised January 18, 2016 Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S are certainly not having the best of times on the high street these days, but there's one place their winning at least. The three are among several of the biggest global companies to make a "nice" list of companies which pressure groups and campaigners across the world, from the likes of Which? to Greenpeace, have [...]
Business profits set to stumble in wake of EU referendum October 13, 2016 Corporate profitability held up in the three months before the EU referendum, new statistics have revealed, as companies showed little sign uncertainty was weighing on their ability to generate cash. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said this morning profitability of private sector non-financial corporations, as measured by their net rate of return was 12.2 per [...]
Supermarket sell-off: grocers’ share prices fall as HSBC analysts predict Asda will cut prices July 6, 2016 The big grocers' share prices fell today after analysts said Asda may cut its prices, trimming the industry's profits and intensifying the supermarket price war. HSBC analyst David McCarthy said: "We believe there are signs that Asda may be about to fundamentally reposition on price, bringing down sector profits. Read more: Traders betting against troubled supermarkets "Asda has been [...]
Sales drop at Sainsbury’s in second quarter – but Argos is growing September 28, 2016 Sainsbury's reported at drop in sales during the 16 weeks to 24 September, despite transaction growth and flat fuel sales – but Argos posted a strong performance for its second quarter. The company's share price had fallen by 3.03 per cent in mid-morning trading. The supermarket posted a 1.1 per cent decline in like-for-like sales, [...]
US mega fine looms over sale of RBS November 17, 2016 A possible US fine of $5bn-$12bn or more has hit the pause button on any further sale of the government’s huge holding in embattled lender RBS, two top officials told MPs yesterday. The boss of UKFI – the organisation charged with advising government on the sale of assets picked up during the financial crisis – [...]
Bottoms up: Net profit down but beer sales up for Heineken October 26, 2016 Dutch brewer Heineken's net profit is down on last year's figures but higher beer sales contributed to a better than expected performance, its latest results have shown. The world's second largest beer maker, which includes Tiger and Sol, sold more than expected in its third quarter, but saw its net profits plummet. The figures Net profit for [...]