Metro Bank shares tumble on reports it needs £600m to shore up balance sheet October 5, 2023 Metro Bank shares tumbled by more than 20 per cent this morning after reports that the challenger is in talks to raise hundreds of millions of pounds in an effort to shore up its balance sheet. Metro has reportedly hired bankers at Morgan Stanley and Moelis to raise £600m in extra financing, which includes £250m [...]
Student housing provider Unite names new chief executive October 5, 2023 Student housing provider Unite has announced that chief executive Richard Smith is stepping down after seven years leading the business. Smith, 49, will be replaced by Joe Lister, who has been chief financial officer since 2008. He will take the helm on 1 January. Smith’s tenure saw the company expand significantly, with 157 properties now [...]
Imperial Brands to deliver full-year guidance as it launches £1.1bn buy-back October 5, 2023 Imperial Brands, the tobacco giant behind Lambert & Butler, Winston and Gauloises, has said it is on track to deliver its full-year guidance thanks to high prices of cigarettes and demand for tobacco alternatives. The cigarette company, which also makes Golden Virginia tobacco, said that strong pricing led by the rising costs helped offset historic [...]
London rents hit ‘record high’ of over £2,000 per month as shrinking supply hits tenants hard October 5, 2023 The cost of renting in London is now 12.1 per cent higher than it was last year, as tenants dish out “record” payments of £2,627 pcm to live in the capital, a new report from Rightmove shows. Over the last year, lodgers in the capital have seen their rents surge to fresh highs because the [...]
Scrapping HS2 was a smart move – now bring on more bold action October 5, 2023 Structural reforms are one thing: cultural shifts are altogether more difficult. Many a football manager has learnt this over the years, where a formation change and a sprinkling of new talent in an under-performing club fails to make a difference because something in the club isn’t right. Creating winning cultures is hard. City bigwigs are [...]
Rio pins recovery hopes on mega Simandou iron ore project amid share price blows October 5, 2023 Could revive Rio Tinto's long-held ambitions of mining the world's largest untapped supply of high-grade iron ore revive its share price?
Trompe L’Oeil review: Trump is the butt of the joke again October 5, 2023 How many fringe theatre and cabaret shows have made Donald Trump the butt of their jokes? Surely it’s in the thousands. It must hard to offer fresh material, so kudos to Trompe L’Oeil for finding new life in him yet. In this musical cabaret the former president is played by Emer Dineen, who portrays a [...]
Pendragon shares tumble after Hedin drops takeover bid October 4, 2023 Pendragon shares slumped over six per cent this afternoon after a joint takeover bid for the company was taken off the table. Hedin Mobility Group and Penske Automotive Group confirmed on Wednesday afternoon they do not intend to make an offer, ending their part in a three-way bidding war for one of the UK’s largest [...]
New Google Pixel 8 phones suggest step forward, say analysts October 4, 2023 A trickle of leaks and teasers had already primed expectations for Google’s launch of its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, as well as Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Buds Pro. At an event live-streamed from New York on Wednesday, the tech giant said its new Pixel phones have brighter screens, upgraded cameras [...]
Vertu Motors on hunt for more acquisitions after record revenues and bumper dividend October 4, 2023 Vertu Motors boss Robert Forrester has said the car dealership is pursuing more acquisitions after it reported record revenues and a bumper dividend in its interim results. Speaking to Morning Wire following the announcement, Robert Forrester said the company had a “pipeline” of acquisitions and was working closely with manufacturers “wherever they want us to [...]