BoE eyes a climate-conscious corporate bond purchase scheme May 21, 2021 The Bank of England (BoE) has tabled plans to make its £20bn of corporate bonds better aligned with government net zero targets today. Set to begin later this year, the bank will not immediately sell off bonds issued by businesses that have high carbon emissions, such as energy and oil firms. “Divestment is a powerful [...]
Pret A Manger trades city centres for Pret-rol stations May 21, 2021 Pret A Manger is set to open new shops in petrol stations owned by the Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the café said today, in a well-needed boost for roadside stops. Wither fewer people travelling and going to work, petrol stations have suffered a sales slump of 13.3 per cent compared with the same month two [...]
Nationwide customers saved a further £10.6bn over the pandemic May 21, 2021 Customer deposited increased by £10.6bn throughout the pandemic, Nationwide said today, while remote working has made its workforce ‘more productive’ in the year to 4 April. With lockdown restrictions closing high streets and putting a pin in travel, Nationwide found deposits increased by double what they increased by in 2019, as customers stashed cash into [...]
Sunday Times Rich List: Marcus Rashford tops the UK’s biggest givers May 21, 2021 Manchester United football player Marcus Rashford has become the youngest person to top The Sunday Times Giving List this year, which measures philanthropy among the ultra-wealthy. The list highlighted today that the UK saw more new billionaire’s during the pandemic than any other time over the list’s 33-year history. However, this year also saw a record amount of donations, exceeding £4bn [...]
Painkiller maker Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies debuts on London’s market May 21, 2021 Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies (OCT), which makes painkillers using cannabis components, has debuted on the London Stock Exchange this morning, offering £0.01 per share. The UK-based company, a pre-revenue pharmaceutical company developing cannabinoid-based prescription medicines, will begin trading on the capital’s main market at 8:00 this morning. Offering around 960m ordinary shares, OCT is set to [...]
UK companies to help plot ‘constellation’ of satellites around the Moon May 20, 2021 UK space companies have begun developing navigation and telecommunication capabilities to put a ‘constellation’ of satellites around the Moon, according to the European Space Agency (ESA) today. With funding from the UK Space Agency, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), Inmarsat and MDA Space and Robotics have bagged £2m contracts with the ESA for the satellite [...]
Wincanton supply chains to be net zero by 2040, as profits slip May 20, 2021 Supply chain partner Wincanton is set to be net-zero by 2040, the group said today, but has been knocked slightly by a slip in profitability. With environment, social and governance (ESG) factors climbing increasingly higher on the investor agenda, the group’s shares were up 3.95 per cent to 447p per share this afternoon. The group [...]
Marshall Motor to repay £4m in pandemic relief, despite restrictions closing its doors May 20, 2021 Car dealer Marshall Motor is already set to repay furlough cash and retail grants it received this year amid the pandemic, following strong vehicle demand. The business said it would refund the £2.6m of furlough payments received so far this year, alongside the £1.4m of extra government relief, according to the Telegraph. “After such significant [...]
Euromoney Institutional Investor restores dividends as revenue dips May 20, 2021 B2B information provider Euromoney Institutional Investor saw subscriptions grow this year but took a hit to both its revenue and profits as social distancing foiled events. Revenue fell by 17 per cent to £155.5m from £186.3m last year, due to social distancing measures fumbling physical event plans, in the six months to 31 March. “The [...]
Snooze you lose: London sleep tech firm Simba sees sales s-leap 295 per cent May 20, 2021 London-based sleep technology company Simba has not slept on sales this year as it posted a 295 per cent leap, in its highest-ever first-quarter sales and profits. The record year-on-year UK sales jump suggests consumers have invested heavily in their sleep after a tough 12 months while online shopping has seen a surge in interest. [...]
