Fidelity Top Stories
UK accounting regulator probes audit of Liberty Commodities
The UK’s accounting watchdog said it had started a probe into HW Fisher's audit of Liberty Commodities, part of GFG Alliance and owned by the family of steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta.
Unilever rules out major M&A as costs bite
Consumer products conglomerate Unilever ruled out any major acquisitions in the near future and warned of higher costs as it reported fourth-quarter sales growth and announced a €3bn share buyback.
Relx hikes dividend, announced £500m share buyback
Information provider Relx lifted its dividend by 6% and announced a £500m share buyback on Thursday as it said it expected 2022 growth in underlying profit and revenue to be ahead of historical trends.
ECB may raise rates in 2022, Buba chief says
Interest rates in the single currency bloc may need to go higher as soon as 2022 as the costs of acting too slowly could be "significantly" higher, the new head of the German central bank said.
Royal London merger talks with LV collapse
Merger talks between the mutual insurer LV and Royal London have broken down, the companies said on Wednesday.
GSK Covid sales soar but sees slowdown next year
UK pharmaceutical giant GSK said Covid-related sales hit £1. 4bn last year as it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
Morgan Stanley expecs continued EU stock outperformance, FTSE among preferred investments
Equity strategists at Morgan Stanley told clients that they expected European Union stocks to continue outperforming, given what they described as a "benign" macroeconomic backdrop.
Barratt reports slight profit rise, lifts FY completions forecast, divi
Housebuilder Barratt Developments reported a slight rise in interim profits and lifted its dividend despite an 11% fall in completions and weaker revenue.
Dunelm posts record profit but warns on cost pressures
UK retailer Dunelm on Wednesday posted record first-half profit and declared a special dividend, as homeware and furniture sales continued to outperform the market but warned that cost pressures could see some price rises.
BP swings to massive profits on oil, gas price surge
Energy giant BP reported on Tuesday swung to a huge annual profit, driven by surging oil and gas prices, but warned of lower production and flat refining margins in the first quarter of the current year.
TUI sees pent-up demand driving summer bookings
Travel company TUI on Tuesday said it expected pent up demand to drive summer holiday bookings towards pre-Covid pandemic levels as it narrowed losses and planned to repay some of the German state aid it received during the crisis.
Retail sales jump as consumers splash out
Retail sales jumped last month, as shoppers sought out purchases ranging from watches to furniture, industry data showed on Tuesday.
UK house prices set for big slowdown after weak January - Halifax
British house prices are expected to slow “considerably” over the next 12 months as households face a cost-of-living squeeze, mortgage lender Halifax said on Monday.
Russia using gas exports for leverage on Ukraine dispute - EU chief
The European Union is in discussions with the US and other potential suppliers about securing more gas deliveries to Europe in the face of “growing evidence” Russia is using exports as political leverage, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Danish pension fund divests from Wizz Air over labour rights 'abuses'
Danish pension fund AkademikerPension is pulling its more than $3m investment in low-cost airline Wizz Air over concerns around human and labour rights abuse.
BoA strategists 'bearish', expect 'growth shock' in back half 2022
Equity strategists at Bank of America declared themselves to be "bearish" on equities, arguing that the 2021 inflation shock would reverberate in 2022 via an interest rate shock in the first half of the year followed by a "growth shock" in the back half of the same year.
SSP confident recovery on track despite Omicron hit in January
Travel food outlet operator SSP Group said trading in January softened due to the Covid Omicron variant but was confident its recovery remained on track.
Governing council 'will not be rushed' into interest rate hikes, ECB chief says
The European Central Bank will not be rushed into interest rate hikes and observers shouldn't overdo it when speculating on possible hikes.
ECB stays put, PEPP still set to end in March
The European Central Bank kept all its main policy levers at their current settings following Thursday's meeting of its governing council.
Shell beats forecasts as oil, gas prices drive soaring profits
Oil giant Shell reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits, driven by surging oil and gas prices and announced an $8. 5bn share buyback.