Tesla: Nice cars, shame about the bottom line? April 26, 2019 Tesla has just announced its first-quarter financial results, and I’m surprised to see the headline figures aren’t good: a loss of $702 million, and an expectation that the company will bear further losses in Q2 (before, it claims, returning to profit in the third quarter). Reading deeper into the detail, Tesla’s cash reserves plummeted by [...]
Bramson may lose the battle but still win the war in his clash with Barclays’ board April 26, 2019 Arguments about the merits of Barclays’ voyage into investment banking feel almost as old as the industry itself. Next week’s showdown between the lender’s board and Edward Bramson, who wants to muscle his way onto it, might prove to be a mere footnote in that story – or, ultimately, warrant a full chapter. Bramson will [...]
The new Bank of England chief will have plenty to keep them busy April 26, 2019 There was a time when running the Bank of England was a family affair. The inaugural governor Sir John Houblon (1694-1697) was followed a few years later by his younger brother Abraham Houblon, who took charge of the Old Lady from 1703 to 1705. There have been 116 governors since Houblon Jnr, and all of them [...]
Crossrail sets opening date between October 2020 and March 2021 April 25, 2019 Crossrail will open to passengers between October 2020 and March 2021, about two years later than originally planned, its board revealed today. Read more: TfL boss Mike Brown says he will not stand down over Crossrail criticism The central section of Crossrail – which will be known as the Elizabeth line – will open between Paddington and Abbey [...]
Laura Ashley shares hit all-time low as fashion retailer sounds alarm April 25, 2019 Shares in fashion retailer Laura Ashley hit an all-time low today after it issued a warning over its full-year results amid difficult trading conditions. Read more: Laura Ashley issues profit warning as sales slide The struggling brand saw its share price fall over 20 per cent this morning to 2.21p. It has since rebounded somewhat [...]
TfL boss Mike Brown says he will not stand down following calls to quit over Crossrail April 25, 2019 TfL boss Mike Brown has said he will not resign following criticism he "downplayed" the risks to the Crossrail opening date to London mayor Sadiq Khan. Appearing before the London Assembly's transport committee this morning, the TfL commissioner rejected suggestions he should resign. "No, I'm not reflecting on whether I'm fit to be in position," he said. [...]
Competition watchdog kills Sainsbury’s £7.3bn Asda merger: What went wrong? April 25, 2019 Almost a year to the day since Sainsbury’s first revealed that it was in merger talks with Asda, it has all come crashing down. In late April 2018 the two retail giants were losing market share to German discounters Aldi and Lidl, and the threat of Amazon moving into the grocery sector was very real. [...]
Biden his time: Obama’s vice president Joe Biden launches White House run April 25, 2019 Former Democratic US vice president Joe Biden will seek his party’s nomination for President, he confirmed this morning after months of speculation. Biden, who was number two to Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, embarks on his third run for the White House with a centrist campaign. Read more: Bernie ‘socialist’ Sanders is the Democrats’ [...]
Tory MPs decide against party rule change to oust Theresa May April 25, 2019 Influential Tory MPs have decided against a party rule change that could have forced Theresa May out as Prime Minister. The 1922 committee of Tory MPs had been meeting over the past couple of days to mull changing rules that would have allowed another leadership challenge against May despite her winning a vote of no [...]
Leaving EU behind: The potential winners and losers from a soft Brexit deal April 25, 2019 After three failed votes, Prime Minister Theresa May has another six months to get her Brexit deal through the House of Commons. Despite her securing an extension from the EU, the Brexit deadlock seems as intractable as ever. Still, some form of soft Brexit remains a likely option, so it’s worth exploring the potential impact [...]
