You can’t come in to our US stores today, says Patagonia, now go out and vote November 8, 2016 A sustainable outdoor clothing retailer today shut the doors of its US outlets, telling customers to prioritise voting over shopping. Patagonia, a company that has banged the drum of environmental causes since it started in 1973, said that it was imperative that Americans got down the polls to vote in the US Presidential election. Voting was [...]
BMW workers vote in favour of strikes at UK factories over final salary pension closure November 8, 2016 The number of Minis and Rolls-Royce cars rolling off the production lines in the UK could be considerably disrupted after thousands of workers balloted in favour of strike action. BMW, which owns the two iconic brands, is planning to close its UK final salary pension scheme. Read more: Unite ready to fight BMW over pension changes A raft of [...]
Hertz slams on the brakes: earnings to be a fraction of previous guidance November 8, 2016 Shares in car rental giant Hertz were in freefall today, plummeting as much as 50 per cent after it slashed full year forecasts. The US company said it expected forecast adjusted profit of between $0.51 and $0.88 per share, a fraction of its guidance earlier in the year of between $2.75 and $3.50 per share. Read more: [...]
Direct Line motors ahead of expectations despite whiplash concerns November 8, 2016 Direct Line's share price edged up slightly today after revealing a strong nine month performance from its motor brands. Shares were up around 0.5 per cent after the company said that the amount of motor insurance the group had written increased by 10 per cent. Overall gross written premiums were up by 4.2 per cent compared with the [...]
Sandwichgate: Sports Direct hits back at MPs claims saying they overshadowed the happiness of Shirebrook workers November 8, 2016 Sports Direct's share price plummeted over three per cent after responding to the sensational allegations from MPs that its staff spied on a private meeting of MPs from the business select committee. "The Board would like to make it clear that it did not authorise or have any knowledge of the possible recording device," Sports Direct said [...]
RBS has set aside £400m as compensation for small business customers November 8, 2016 Beleaguered lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has set aside £400m to compensate small and medium-sized business customers after allegations of mistreatment by its Global Restructuring Group (GRG). The lender announced today it will set aside the refund fees for the scandal, in which small firms alleged they were forced into financial distress by the [...]
Consumer spending grows at record levels during October November 8, 2016 Consumer spending rocketed during October with Britons splashing out on visits to the cinema and drinking sessions in the pub. Spending grew at the fastest recorded levels during October according to Barclaycard. The 5.5 per cent year on year increase was driven by 20.9 per cent growth in movie going and a 12.9 per cent increase in [...]
The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that reduced tax revenues will undermine hopes of a budgetary surplus in 2019 November 8, 2016 Britain's economic slowdown means that public finances will be £25bn worse off than previously thought and still in deficit by 2019. Lower growth forecasts mean Philip Hammond can expect to be nursing a Treasury deficit of £15bn, compared with the £10bn surplus George Osborne predicted in the Budget earlier this year, according to the Institute for [...]
Sandwichgate: How Sports Direct spied on MPs with a camera hidden in sandwiches November 7, 2016 Shocked MPs were left fuming after staff at Mike Ashley's Sports Direct apparently attempted to spy on them using a camera hidden under a plate of sandwiches. Members of the business select committee paid the controversial retailer's Shirebrook site a surprise visit earlier today, as part of a long-running investigation into conditions at the company. [...]