Monday newspaper round-up: Brexit, dividends, Unilever, HSBC

A British exit from the EU would isolate the country’s scientists and reduce its influence in medicine, global pharmaceuticals executives have warned, as David Cameron fights for a deal in time for a June referendum. The warning by executives at some of the world’s biggest drugmakers follows a plea by the UK prime minister for business to enter the debate and comes as the pro-Europe campaign steps up its rhetoric over the potential risks of Brexit. – Financial Times

UK company dividends are forecast to fall this year for the first time since 2010 as oil groups, miners and retailers struggle against a backdrop of low commodity prices and tough competition on the high street. Some of the UK’s biggest companies have already slashed payouts, and more bad news is expected this year, as the uncertain global economic outlook and volatile markets threaten company balance sheets. – Financial Times

Unilever, the consumer goods group behind Persil and Magnum ice-creams, has said it will not scale back its UK operations if Britain votes to leave the EU. The comments from Paul Polman, the chief executive of the Anglo-Dutch business, echo those of Akio Toyoda, his counterpart at Toyota, who said the Japanese carmaker would continue to produce cars in Derbyshire even if Britain left. – Guardian

HSBC is poised to make a decision on whether it will stay in the UK as early as this week, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. After a nine-month, landmark review into where the bank will call home for at least the next decade, it is understood that the 20-person group board is due to hold a two-day meeting at the end of this week in Hong Kong. – Telegraph

Tesco’s attempt to squash Pret in the sandwich market has ended with a retreat by Britain’s biggest supermarket after it admitted customers were not interested. The grocer is planning to shut its two only “Food-to-Go” stores in London which were opened to attract busy commuters. - Telegraph

Competition to win the £4 billion contract to build superfast trains for the HS2 rail line has been blown open by a promise from Alstom, the French industrial giant, to bring rolling stock production back to Britain if it wins the tender. HS2 Ltd, the transport department body overseeing the £50 billion north-south rail line, has indicated that it wants the 250mph, quarter-mile-long trains capable of carrying a thousand passengers to be built, at least partially, in the UK. – The Times

Google should be paying hundreds of millions of pounds more tax, experts claimed, as anger grew over a sweetheart deal between the internet giant and HM Revenue & Customs. George Osborne, who welcomed the £130 million deal that covers ten years of back taxes on Saturday, has been asked by MPs whether he had any involvement in the negotiations. – The Times