FTSE 100 rises to five month high as Ocado delivers
The FTSE 100 touched heights last seen in October on Tuesday, boosted by a strong performance from online grocer Ocado.
UK and abroad
Office Outlet goes under
Office Outlet has gone into administration, putting the future of 1,200 jobs at risk.
UBS fined £27.6m for misreporting transactions over a decade
The City watchdog has fined UBS £27.6 million for failing to report tens of millions of transactions properly over nearly a decade.
City watchdog called on to investigate itself over LCF collapse
The City watchdog is being called on to consider a full-blown investigation into “regulatory failures” around the collapse of investment firm London Capital & Finance.
Energy price cap set to keep inflation low in February
Inflation is expected to have held steady below the Bank of England’s target in February, thanks to the cap on energy prices.
Barclays urges investors to reject Bramson board appointment
Barclays has told investors to block an attempt by activist investor Edward Bramson to gain a seat on the lender’s board, arguing his appointment would be “detrimental”.
No-deal Brexit aftermath like Lehman Brothers collapse, says fiscal watchdog
Britain’s fiscal watchdog has compared the shock of a no-deal Brexit to the collapse of Lehman Brothers that sparked the global financial crisis more than a decade ago.
TP ICAP annual profits hit after writedowns
TP ICAP’s profits were dented after the interdealer broker booked a £65 million one-off charge related to the writedown of assets as it announced that it has put in place contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit.
Sainsbury’s pleads with CMA over Asda merger as customers promised £1bn in price cuts
Sainsbury’s has claimed there are serious flaws with the competition watchdog’s report into its £12 billion merger with Asda, and argued the tie-up will deliver £1 billion in savings for shoppers as the deal hangs in the balance.
More than 1,000 jobs at risk as Office Outlet collapses into administration
Office Outlet has gone into administration, putting the future of 1,200 jobs at risk.
ScS profits rise but sofa chain warns retail market to remain challenging
Furniture retailer ScS has reported higher interim profits but cautioned that trading in the medium term is expected to remain tough.
The Gym Group eyes further expansion as membership soars
Low-cost fitness operator The Gym Group has posted another year of rapid growth, as it targets more customers in a booming market.
Record 32.7 million people in work as jobless rate falls to 3.9%
Record numbers of people are in work, while the UK’s jobless rate has fallen below 4% for the first time since 1975, new figures show.
Kier confirms Andrew Davies as new boss amid turnaround efforts
Kier Group has confirmed the appointment of Andrew Davies as chief executive to lead a turnaround at the troubled construction giant.
Asos sales growth held back by US disruption and tough Christmas trading
Asos continued to grow sales at home and abroad in the second quarter, but was held back by competitive Christmas trading and disruption in its US business.
Standard Life Aberdeen wins tribunal ruling over £100bn Lloyds contract
Standard Life Aberdeen has said a tribunal has ruled that Lloyds Banking Group did not have the right to end a mammoth £100 billion contract with the asset manager.
Ocado sales growth held back by warehouse fire
Ocado has laid bare the impact to sales caused by a fire at its Andover facility, but insisted the incident was only a “temporary” setback.
Bonmarche shares plunge after third profit warning in six months
Shares in struggling retailer Bonmarche have tanked after it warned annual losses could hit £6 million following the return of sales woes in March.
Pound falls after Bercow rules out third vote on May’s Brexit deal
The FTSE 100 was boosted by the weaker pound on Monday, which declined after a third vote on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal was ruled out by the speaker of the House of Commons.
EasyJet flies off from Alitalia consortium
Budget British airline easyJet has pulled out of plans to form a consortium to bid for bankrupt Italian carrier Alitalia.
SFO opens probe into London Capital & Finance
The fraud squad has opened an investigation into London Capital & Finance, months after the investment firm collapsed into administration.
Slipper brand Mahabis appoints former Moonpig MD as new CEO
A former boss of Moonpig has been appointed to lead upmarket slipper brand Mahabis, which was bought out of administration in January.
SPONSORED: Those international tax implications of Brexit
Ongoing ambiguity surrounding Brexit is affecting many kinds of businesses in different ways.
Worldpay to be bought by FIS in £32.4 billion mega deal
Payments giant Worldpay is to be taken over by US firm Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) in a 43 billion US dollars (£32.4 billion) deal.
Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank confirm merger talks
Germany’s two biggest lenders Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank are in talks over a possible multibillion-euro merger as they look to turn around their fortunes.
Sir Martin Sorrell posts loss but revenue heads higher
Sir Martin Sorrell’s new marketing communications venture has reported a full-year loss, despite revenues being boosted by a string of new clients.
Joules boss to take over chairman role at Moss Bros
Joules boss Colin Porter has been lined up as the new chairman of Moss Bros, amid challenges at the retailer which saw it warn on profits last year.
JD Sports agrees £90 million Footasylum takeover
JD Sports is to buy fellow retailer Footasylum in a deal valuing the company at more than £90 million.
Travelodge turnaround continues as profits rise
Travelodge has reported rising annual sales and profits, with the budget hotels chain set to create 3,000 new jobs over the coming years as it continues to expand.
Brexit delay will keep stranglehold on UK economy, warns former Bank policymaker
Delaying Brexit will consign Britain’s already weak economy to “sluggish” growth and risks a further manufacturing exodus until a deal is struck, a former Bank of England rate-setter has warned.
Long live the high street music store, says Fender boss
The boss of guitar brand Fender has insisted that there is still a place for physical retail, even as the company pours more money into digital areas.
Ted Baker to report lower profits after year of challenges
Ted Baker is set to report a decline in annual profits on Thursday following a tough year for the fashion brand which has seen the departure of its founder, higher costs and challenging high street conditions.