Sainsbury’s boss Coupe says exit not due to collapsed Asda merger
The departing boss of Sainsbury’s said he has not been forced out of the supermarket for its failure to merge with rival Asda last year.
UK and abroad
Just Eat signs delivery deal with McDonald’s
Just Eat has announced plans to partner with McDonald’s as the takeaway delivery business ramps up its brand-focused growth strategy.
AG Barr shares fizz on better-than-feared profits outlook
Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has said signs of a turnaround for its drink brands after a tough 2019 is set to see a smaller-than-feared hit to annual profits.
Airbus close to settlement over alleged bribery and fraud
Aviation giant Airbus says it has reached potential settlement agreements with financial investigators in the UK, US and France.
Crest Nicholson posts ‘disappointing’ results after building fewer homes
Housebuilder Crest Nicholson has seen profits and sales dip over the past year after it built fewer homes.
Virgin Money sees mortgage lending fall in ‘difficult’ market
Lender Virgin Money has revealed a hit to mortgage lending amid a “difficult” market and intense competition.
Sainsbury’s pledges £1bn investment to hit net zero emissions by 2040
Sainsbury’s plans to invest £1 billion towards making its operations “net zero” by 2040 – a decade earlier than the UK’s legal goal – it has announced.
BT phone home – customer service calls now answered in UK
All calls to BT’s helplines are now being answered by staff in the UK and Ireland, as the telecoms giant tries to boost its customer service reputation.
Coronavirus leaves investors feeling ill as FTSE 100 drops
Fear infected the stock market on Monday as worries over the impact of the coronavirus saw investors sell up and send the FTSE 100 to a six-week low.
City watchdog fined over failures with its own staff pension scheme
The City watchdog responsible for regulating financial services has been censured for failing to run its own pension scheme correctly.
German exports to Britain down amid Brexit uncertainty
German exports to Britain dropped by about 4% during the first 11 months of last year amid concerns about the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, a German trade body has said.
Philip Hammond joins board of fintech lender OakNorth
Former chancellor Philip Hammond has joined UK fintech firm OakNorth to aid its growth plans.
Markets suffer from Chinese virus outbreak
Global stock markets opened the week in a foul mood, as worries over coronavirus prompted a mass sell-off, sending the FTSE 100 to its lowest point for over a month.
Mattel launches renewably-sourced plastic toys as part of sustainability push
Toy giant Mattel is launching new building block sets made from renewably-sourced plastics as part of a new sustainability push.
Fake loan victim Lekoil steps up production
The London-listed oil company that was allegedly tricked into thinking it had won major investment from Qatar has speeded up production at its Nigerian oil field.
Mortgage approvals reach highest annual total since 2009
The number of mortgages approved by high street banks jumped to the highest annual total in a decade last year amid signs the housing market is moving up a gear.
Openreach to expand full-fibre broadband network
Openreach is planning to make ultrafast broadband available in more than 200 market towns and villages across the UK as part of its aim to reach four million homes and businesses with full-fibre technology by March 2021.
Diamond miner Petra’s shares sink on weaker prices
Petra Diamonds shares have dived after the company saw first-half revenues slide by 6%.
Lender Amigo seeks buyer amid increased pressure from regulators
Lender Amigo has put itself up for sale and launched a strategic review after losing more than 75% of its share value since June.
Special dividends and a weak pound lead to record shareholder payouts in 2019
The political and economic uncertainty that dominated the majority of 2019 barely dented the prospects of investors in the stock market, according to new data.
Planet Organic pushes forward with expansion despite challenging high street
Planet Organic has said it plans to double its store numbers over the next four years as it shrugs off the current high street turmoil.
Almost 10,000 retail jobs already lost this year, research shows
Nearly 10,000 jobs have been lost in retail since the start of 2020, according to new research.
Internet speeds too slow for more than half of all small businesses, poll finds
More than half of all small and medium businesses (SMEs) in the UK are without a high-speed internet connection, according to a new survey.
Almost 500,000 businesses under ‘significant financial distress’
The number of businesses in significant financial distress has hit almost half a million, the highest number on record, according to an influential report.
Bank to make ‘knife-edge’ rates decision amid cut speculation
Bank of England policymakers will gather for a “knife-edge” decision on interest rates this Thursday following recent speculation a cut may be on the way.
Bet365 boss was UK’s biggest taxpayer last year
The woman at the head of one of the UK’s biggest betting websites was the country’s largest taxpayer last year, according to new figures.
NatWest apologises to customers following complaints of ‘disappearing money’
NatWest has apologised to customers following complaints of their money “disappearing” in transfers over their mobile banking app.
Octopus Energy eyes balanced earnings within a year
Challenger energy supplier Octopus will be “close to break-even” on parts of its balance sheet within a year, boss Greg Jackson has said.
Average first-time buyer deposit rises 7% in a year
First-time buyers faced having to raise around £3,000 more for a deposit in 2019 than a year earlier, according to analysis.
Thousands of pubs to see business rates slashed
Thousands of pubs will see £1,000 slashed off their bills, after the Chancellor announced new cuts aimed at supporting boozers in local communities.
FTSE 100 rebounds as coronavirus fears calm
The FTSE 100 continued its rebound as the major European markets all shook off fears over the coronavirus.
Threat to 177 jobs as Hawkin’s Bazaar falls into administration
Gift and toy chain Hawkin’s Bazaar has collapsed into administration, putting 177 jobs at risk.