Barratt shares rise on strong forward sales despite Covid-19 hit September 2, 2020 Shares in Barratt Developments rose today as it announced strong forward sales despite taking a hit from the coronavirus lockdown. Forward sales at 23 August stood at 15,660 homes valued at £3.7bn, compared to 13,064 homes valued at £3bn last August. Barratt shares rose 5.7 per cent to 532p this morning. The company today scrapped [...]
London house price growth remains below UK city average September 27, 2019 House prices in London edged up 0.2 per cent in August but inflation remained below the UK average growth rate for cities of 1.9 per cent. However, mortgages for home purchases in London have been increasing slowly following the lower numbers seen since late 2014, suggesting that the decline in London housing sales has bottomed [...]
JD Sports in exclusive talks with Debenhams to buy department store November 24, 2020 JD Sports is in exclusive talks with Debenhams that would see the troubled department chain acquired by the sportswear business, according to reports. Debenhams fell into administration in April for the second time. The coronavirus has hit the destitute department store hard, with stores closed and thousands of jobs axed due to the virus. According [...]
Can EVs really handle a family holiday? October 1, 2021 Electric vehicles (EVs) have enjoyed soaring sales in recent years but there are still many EV doubters out there, not least because of the charging infrastructure. Among them is Allegra Stratton, the UK government’s spokesperson for the upcoming COP26 climate summit. She made headlines by saying she couldn’t use an EV because stopping to recharge [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group increases stake in luxury brand Mulberry November 19, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has increased its stake in Mulberry, sending the luxury handbag firm’s share price up more than eight per cent this morning. Frasers Group, which was formerly known as Sports Direct, has upped its stake in the designer brand to 36.82 per cent. The group, which also owns House of Fraser, Jack [...]
This is what you should be drinking on St Patrick’s Day March 16, 2021 Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, and while Boris didn’t actually order the closure of pubs until 20 March 2020, for most of us this will be the second year in a row that we mark the event at home. This is no time to crowd into a bar with your mates, swilling Guinness while shouting [...]
Can Volkswagen catch Tesla in the electric vehicle race? February 11, 2022 Tesla raised some eyebrows last month as it unveiled an 87% year-on-year rise in vehicle deliveries to over 936,000. In terms of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), this puts it some distance ahead of its European rivals, including Volkswagen AG with less than a half of Tesla’s deliveries (452,900). There are three main reasons for Tesla’s [...]
City Spirits: Put the G&T to the side for a refined rum revolution March 5, 2021 If you’re after a quick and refreshing sundowner, there are fewer drinks easier to throw together than a gin and tonic. The quintessential afternoon tipple, the humble G&T has been the key vehicle for the phenomenal growth in gin – both in sales and in the sheer variety of bottles available to try – over [...]
Lockdown pet boom boosts CVS revenue to £245.6m March 25, 2021 The UK’s lockdown pet boom brought a boost to veterinary services provider CVS, which enjoyed a 9.4 per cent revenue growth in the last six months of 2020. The company saw its revenue rise to £245.6m, up around £20m from the year before, as customers were found to be spending around six per cent more [...]
How the climate change revolution has lit a fire under the heating industry June 22, 2021 Climate policy over the last few years has seen the rise and rise of “net zero” targets, to the extent that around 70% of global emissions are now covered by a net zero policy. Converting these long-term ambitions into a clear plan of action is the next step, and the recent publication of a net [...]