UK house prices rebound sharply after stamp duty cut July 31, 2020 UK house prices unexpectedly bounced back in July after tumbling in June, as pent-up lockdown demand was released and the stamp duty cut cheered buyers and sellers. Building society nationwide said British prices jumped 1.7 per cent in July compared to a month earlier, when they fell 1.6 per cent. Analysts had been expecting a [...]
Premier League confirms plans to scrap controversial pay-per-view model November 10, 2020 The Premier League has confirmed it will scrap its controversial pay-per-view model after a fierce backlash from fans. The new model, which was introduced following the international break in October, means fans have to cough up £14.95 to watch games not selected for regular broadcast. The move sparked anger among supporter groups, who raised hundreds [...]
Restaurant food delivered for the last weekend of lockdown November 27, 2020 This is the last weekend of full lockdown, although the muddled, miserable restrictions that continue to place an unfair burden upon the hospitality sector mean it’s hardly time to pull out the party poppers. Still, if you’re looking for one last big weekend home-delivery binge before venturing out in your household bubble to enjoy a [...]
Government backtracks on Covid death charts used to justify lockdown November 6, 2020 The government has quietly replaced death rate projections that pushed England into its second national lockdown, after admitting the charts showed figures that were “too high”. Graphs presented alongside new lockdown measures at the Number 10 press conference last Saturday predicted the UK would see up to 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths a day by early December. [...]
‘Test to release’ travel scheme off to ‘chaotic’ start December 15, 2020 The government’s new “test to release” system to reduce quarantine got off to a “chaotic start” this morning after it transpired that only three of its approved test providers were open. Under the scheme, which was announced on 24 November, travellers who wish to leave quarantine early can do so by taking a coronavirus test [...]
US election: Biden in touching distance of White House as Trump calls in the lawyers November 4, 2020 Joe Biden is closing in on the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency as Michigan has now been widely called for the Democrat candidate. The former Vice President is on at least 253 Electoral College votes, with some US broadcasters also calling Arizona for Biden, giving him 264 votes. All he needs [...]
Corona Impact Series: How a Tower Bridge pie ‘n mash chain weathered the Covid storm January 20, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks at the financial and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic on a range of small and medium-sized businesses across London. Today: how a small pie & mash chain in Tower Bridge turned up the fire during three lockdowns. M.Manze Pie and Mash’s flagship shop is in Tower Bridge, one of three across London. [...]
China’s Evergrande: not so grand financial statements? December 15, 2021 Evergrande Group is the latest listed company to unexpectedly find itself on the verge of bankruptcy. When businesses are thrust into public view for the wrong reasons, my first thought is always whether trouble could have been coming. To see if the Chinese property development giant’s travails could have been anticipated, I looked at its [...]
AO World swings to profit as working from home boosts revenue more than 50 per cent November 24, 2020 Online electricals retailer AO World swung to profit in the six months to September, as a surge in domestic appliance sales during the pandemic helped revenue rocket more than 50 per cent. The company, which sells washing machines, fridges, TVs and laptops, said sales in the six months to 30 September jumped 53.2 per cent [...]
B&M set to smash expectations as retailer reports lockdown boost July 28, 2020 B&M European Value Retail hailed a “strong” first half of the year on the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, with earnings for the six months to September set to smash analysts’ expectations. The group expects adjusted earnings before tax, amortization and depreciation for the six months to 26 September to be between £250m and £270m, [...]