Revenues rise at hostel chain Safestay after strong summer September 25, 2019 Hostel chain Safestay reported a jump in revenue following “positive summer trading”, but pre-tax losses climbed following the introduction of a new accounting standard. Safestay revenue rose 24 per cent from £6.5m to £8.1m during the sixth months ending 30 June, while like-for-like sales grew four per cent. Read more: UK hotel profit soars as [...]
FTSE 100 slides as Brexit and impeachment worries hit markets September 25, 2019 Britain’s FTSE 100 benchmark is braced for its worst day in a month after dipping this morning following dramatic political developments on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday. The blue-chip index opened 0.5 per cent down before sliding further to almost 0.9 per cent, with investors fearing news of an official impeachment inquiry into president [...]
London retains crown as best European city for real estate investment September 25, 2019 London has been ranked as the best European city for long-term commercial real estate investment potential for the third year running, helped by the strength of its tech sector. London was ranked first across five of six categories – inspiration, innovation, interconnection, infrastructure and investment – and was ranked second for the final category, inclusion. [...]
Hornby wants to build a Brexit model train that doesn’t work September 25, 2019 Toy train maker Hornby has said it regrets “not producing a Brexit-themed model” in a trading update issued to investors ahead of its AGM later today. “We regret not producing a Brexit themed model. Our new grasp of social media has shown us that people are passionate about sharing their views on the topic,” Hornby [...]
Passenger growth at Southend airport helps Stobart Group make ‘considerable progress’ September 25, 2019 Stobart Group has said it is trading in line with expectations and has made ‘considerable progress’ during the first half of the year. The aviation, energy and civil engineering group suffered a bruising boardroom battle last year, resulting in the ousting of former boss Andrew Tinkler. Read more: Eddie Stobart confirms takeover interest from Andrew [...]
Metro Bank shares crash to record low after it scraps £250m bond issue September 24, 2019 Shares in Metro Bank closed over 35 per cent down at a fresh record low after the lender cancelled a crucial £250m bond issue designed to bolster its balance sheets to meet regulatory demands. The challenger bank’s shares opened down as much as 17 per cent before trimming losses slightly, but then crashed again in [...]
Hong Kong leader defends police after fresh accusations of violence September 24, 2019 Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said the city’s police force – which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during demonstrations – is under extreme pressure, and said it would be a “long road” to heal rifts in the territory. Lam told reporters it was “quite remarkable” that there had [...]
Softbank executives bristle at Vision Fund investment scheme September 24, 2019 Some executives at Japanese technology titan Softbank have reportedly expressed concerns about an incentive scheme whereby employees can take out large personal loans to invest in the group’s Vision Fund. The investment scheme is designed to align the interests of employees with the $97bn technology fund, but the Financial Times reported the scheme is described [...]
AB InBev prices revived Budweiser Asia listing at lower end of projections September 24, 2019 Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch InBev has priced the revived listing of its Asian business at the bottom of the marketed range, far less than it had hoped to raise when it first tried to list the unit in July. AB InBev priced the revived initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to raise [...]
Blockchain startup Everledger raises $20m in funding round led by Tencent September 24, 2019 UK-based blockchain startup firm Everledger has raised $20m (£16m) in a series A funding round led by Chinese investment firm Tencent. Everledger also received backing from startup funder Graphene Ventures and Fidelity Investments. Read more: Santander issues first end-to-end $20m blockchain bond Founded in 2015 by Australian business woman Leanne Kemp, Everledger uses blockchain technology [...]