ScS Group ends talks to buy Sofa.com leaving Mike Ashley in the driving seat February 1, 2019 Home furnishings retailer ScS Group said today it had ended talks with furniture retailer Sofa.com, leaving the way clear for Mike Ashley who is reportedly putting together a multi-million pound bid. ScS said today it is “no longer in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of the business and assets of Sofa.com”. Sky News reported that Ashley, [...]
Trump tore down the walls for the Democrats’ socialist superstar February 1, 2019 Half-baked policy ideas that don’t stand up to economic scrutiny but spread like wildfire across social media. The ability to tear up the rulebook to forge a new path to power. A US politician who is almost certainly dramatically under-qualified for the office they hold, but who has captured the imaginations of millions through sheer charisma [...]
Estate agent Foxtons cuts earnings guidance after ‘toughest’ year ever in London January 31, 2019 Estate agent Foxtons said last year was one of the “toughest sales markets” ever in London and expected earnings to drop 80 per cent on the previous year. The company said it expected market conditions to remain challenging this year. Read more: UK house prices growth falls to six-year low in weak start to 2019 It [...]
Car thieves can steal 230 keyless vehicles with a relay attack, warns consumer group Which January 28, 2019 Four of the UK’s five most popular cars can be stolen by thieves due to a flaw in keyless unlocking systems, it is claimed. Hundreds of keyless car models are susceptible to a so-called relay attack, which allows car thieves to mimic the passive keyless entry systems to gain access to vehicles, according to consumer group [...]
Kier Group negotiating sale of its housing maintenance business in a bid to reduce debt January 27, 2019 Kier Group, the troubled outsourcing company, is nearing an agreement to sell its housing maintenance division. The deal, if agreed, would be part of a previously announced plan to shore up the balance sheet of the construction and building services provider by selling non-core assets. Read more: Short sellers release pressure on construction outsourcing giant Kier [...]
Super-prime time: London surge in high end house sales January 24, 2019 Wealthy buyers have been on a spending spree for multi-million pound trophy houses during the last year, with demand for London’s ‘super prime’ residences bucking a wider slowdown in the capital’s property market. Despite political uncertainty ahead of Britain’s imminent departure from the EU and plans for a new stamp duty on international buyers, activity [...]
Burberry keeps momentum from China despite trade war fears January 23, 2019 Fashion house Burberry bucked current concerns over a trade war between China and the US today, as Asian demand for its luxury clothing held up over the festive shopping season. The blue-chip firm, which has been embarking on a major turnaround plan to revive its fortunes for more than a year, said that comparable store sales [...]
Wetherspoons maintains full-year guidance despite slowing profits due to labour costs January 23, 2019 JD Wetherspoon said its first-half profits will be lower than expected as rising costs took the fizz out of strong sales growth. The pub chain reported a 7.2 per cent rise in like-for-like sales for the 12 weeks to 20 January, with total sales up 8.3 per cent. Read more: Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin defends column [...]
House of Fraser suffers 60 per cent sales drop in run-up to Christmas January 21, 2019 House of Fraser has reportedly suffered a dive in sales over the crucial Christmas trading season, in a fresh sign of the woes facing the beleaguered department store chain. Year-on-year sales plunged 60 per cent in the 12 weeks to 18 December, according to Kantar Worldpanel figures reported in The Sunday Telegraph. It is the [...]
29 reasons not to invest in the stock market January 21, 2019 Wars, disasters, economic strife and political instability have been persistent themes over the last three decades and they can affect people’s attitude towards investing. In many cases they make an already tough decision to part with your money and invest even harder, leading some to not invest at all. Behavioural scientists have a name for [...]