Construction group Costain has unveiled a £10 million share buy-back as it saw half-year profits leap higher and cheered a boost from water contracts. The group reported a 22% rise in underlying pre-tax profits to £19.4 million for the six months to June 30. Reported pre-tax profits doubled to £17Continue Reading
For many UK workers, holidays are no longer a time to fully unwind, with a significant number finding it difficult to disconnect from work. New data from NatWest Premier highlights that two in five Britons continue checking their emails while on holiday, and the trend is particularly pronounced among highContinue Reading
Leaders of private schools are urging the Treasury to delay the introduction of VAT on school fees, warning that a January implementation could trigger a mid-year surge of pupils into the state sector, placing unsustainable pressure on already stretched resources. Independent schools are set to raise fees by up toContinue Reading
Sensitive information exchange is a vital component of cooperation, mergers, acquisitions, and other commercial activities in the rapidly changing business environment. Virtual data rooms (VDRs) have become an innovative approach in response to the growing demand for fast and safe sharing of information. These digital repositories give companies a secure,Continue Reading
The FTSE 100 lost ground on Tuesday, pushed down by sharp falls across constituents including BT, plus energy giants Shell and BP. The blue-chip index fell 84 points, or 1%, to end the day at 8,273. BT shares fell 6.4% after Sky struck a broadband deal with CityFibre, one ofContinue Reading
Tesco has said it is increasing the price of its popular lunchtime meal deal. The price of the deal, which includes a sandwich, pasta or salad, a snack and a drink, currently costs £3.40 for customers with a Tesco Clubcard. Customers who are not members of the loyalty programme areContinue Reading
The UK’s competition watchdog says it has accepted proposed changes from Meta to the way the social media giant uses the data of customers who advertise on its platforms. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Meta had pledged to allow advertisers to place adverts on Facebook Marketplace and beContinue Reading
The number of companies that became insolvent in July was 16% higher than during the same period last year, according to official data. In England and Wales, 2,191 businesses went bust, according to the Insolvency Service, compared with 1,890 in July 2023. The figures included 320 compulsory liquidations – whenContinue Reading
Media regulator Ofcom is ramping up its hiring of online safety staff as debate continues over the ability of the UK to properly tackle the spread of misinformation online. The riots in parts of the UK earlier this month were fuelled by the spread of misinformation in the wake ofContinue Reading
Engineering firm John Wood Group has revealed it slumped to a near one billion US dollar (£770 million) half-year loss just weeks after a Dubai suitor walked away from a £1.56 billion proposed takeover. The FTSE 250 firm, which provides oilfield and engineering services, reported pre-tax losses of 961.7 millionContinue Reading
