Meanwhile the wider Stellantis group said profits have halved, sending shares in the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker down by 10pc. Sales fell heavily in the US and Europe and the company said it was considering cutting prices in order to boost demand. Mr Tavares called the figures “disappointing and humbling”, but …
Read More »Royal Mail faces assault from US fund with £2.7bn takeover of rival Evri
Apollo and Evri expect the deal to complete later this year. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation over the future of Evri. Advent International, another American buyout fund, put the company up for sale earlier this year. The auction has attracted a series of suitors including rival delivery company …
Read More »Billionaire Le Pen-backer stripped of broadcasting licence over ‘fake news’
Opposition politicians had mounted a campaign to strip C8 and its sister station, CNews, of their licences over “disinformation, racism, sexism, inciting hatred and failure to respect pluralism”. Arcom said its decision on licences was made in “the interest of each project for the public with regard to the priority …
Read More »HSBC faces backlash from LGB Alliance after promoting Stonewall ranking
HSBC and Linklaters have faced a backlash from activists after cheering their places at the top of an equality leaderboard run by the controversial charity Stonewall. Ian Stuart, the UK boss of Europe’s biggest bank, was criticised by Kate Harris, LGB Alliance co-founder, after he wrote on social media that …
Read More »How Royal Mail is poised to create the Amazon of Europe
Kretinsky’s ambitious plans have been backed up by a fevered acquisition spree that has accelerated since 2018, when the tycoon began to diversify his business away from energy. This week, Fnac tabled a €249m (£210m) offer to buy Italy’s Unieuro in a deal that would create a major new player …
Read More »Households braced for £190 jump in energy bills
The economist added: “That may not seem like a big increase, but it is 19pc higher than seemed likely a few weeks ago, and 12pc higher than the one we’re currently in. If you are looking for one reason why Rishi Sunak surprised us all by calling an early election …
Read More »The race to develop the ‘holy grail’ of weight-loss drugs
There is, equally, the argument that companies are developing better and better drugs, ones that help treat more than just people’s weight but also other conditions. Zealand Pharma, which is working on weight-loss pills, said its focus is not purely on helping people shed more pounds. Chief executive Adam Steensberg …
Read More »New Royal Mail owner vows to keep six-day letter deliveries
The new owner of Royal Mail has vowed to keep delivering letters six days a week in an attempt to quash concerns that the service could be reduced. Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire who is buying Royal Mail’s parent company International Distribution Services (IDS) for £3.6bn, said he would not …
Read More »Royal Mail suitor to spend £800m and take on Amazon
In addition, EP Group is in talks with union bosses about a profit-sharing scheme that would see employees handed bonuses if the company meets key financial and delivery targets. The Czech billionaire’s debt-fuelled swoop has also sparked concerns about soaring interest payments that could hurt the postal service’s bottom line. …
Read More »One rule for them? Just 7 per cent of bosses are in the office full-time
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire industrialist and co-owner of Manchester United, last month ordered the football club’s staff to return to the office full time or seek “alternative employment”. Calls to get people back into the office have also been echoed by senior politicians. Last year, Jeremy Hunt, the former …
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