Business

With so much fog surrounding the prospects for the UK economy, results statements from the country’s main commercial banks this week were an ideal opportunity to make sense of things, as the big lenders tend to have a good idea of what is happening on the ground. The overall picture painted – and this is

Credit card borrowing last month increased at the fastest annual rate since 2005, according to new figures from the Bank of England. At the same time, the amount of money being deposited into accounts plummeted, as concerns grow about the rapidly increasing cost of living. Consumer credit, which includes borrowing on credit cards, overdrafts, personal

The UK’s competition watchdog is investigating Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda over claims about the sustainability of their products. The Competition and Markets Authority said it would examine the eco-friendly and sustainability claims made by the three businesses about items including clothing, footwear and accessories. In January the CMA started to look at sustainability

British Airways owner IAG has returned to quarterly profitability for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, but blamed Heathrow for its current “operational challenges”. IAG chief executive Luis Gallego said the group’s best performing airlines were Iberia and Vueling, which were boosted by a recovery in the Spanish domestic market and routes to Latin

Up to 40% of households could be drawn into fuel poverty by soaring energy prices this winter, the boss of one of the UK’s largest energy providers has told Sky News. Rising wholesale gas prices, fuelled by the war in Ukraine, mean the domestic energy price cap is forecast to increase from the current £1,971

Shell has reported record profits of $11.5bn (£9.4bn) for the second quarter, more than double last year’s figure of $5.5bn (£4.5bn). The oil giant had already smashed its own quarterly record at the start of the year when it clocked up profits of $9.1bn (£7.2bn), but the sums continued to rise into Q2. Shell attributed

Facebook owner Meta has reported its first ever revenue drop amid lower ad sales and growing competition from TikTok. The social media giant reported revenue of $28.8bn in the three months to June, down almost 1% from $29.08bn the previous year. The figure was lower than the $28.9bn expected by Wall Street, sending Meta shares

Shop price inflation rose to 4.4% in July, up from 3.1% in June, according to new figures. The rise is the highest since the British Retail Consortium started its index in 2005. Food inflation was up 7%, compared to 5.6% in June. This was partly due to a 8% rise in fresh food inflation, up

The world’s lender of last resort has appealed for central banks to raise interest rates and for governments to take a responsible stance with public finances while warning of a harder impact from the global inflation shock. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) used its updated World Economic Outlook to take another red pen to growth

Heathrow Airport and easyJet, two of the air industry players affected by this year’s flight chaos, have revealed large financial hits while outlining how they are coping during the summer rush. The low-cost carrier said cancellations and delays caused by staff shortages at airports and in the air had cost it £133m over its latest

Ryanair has warned that rising fuel prices will increase costs despite reporting a first-quarter profit. The airline industry has been impacted by significant disruption at airports and the Ukraine war but the budget airliner reported profits after tax of €170m (£145m) in Q1 (April to June 2022) against net losses of €273m (£233m). Passenger numbers

Barclays is taking a stake in Copper, one of the most prominent names in the fast-evolving cryptocurrency sector, even as the industry continues to be rocked by a swathe of bankruptcies. Sky News has learnt that the UK-based bank is among a crop of new investors joining a funding round for Copper, which counts former

The Insolvency Service has written to Lex Greensill and other former directors of the supply chain finance group which bore his name as it intensifies a probe that could trigger formal proceedings to disqualify them as company directors. Sky News has learnt that the unit which investigates corporate collapses in Britain has submitted a series

More than 40,000 rail workers will strike next week after talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay, jobs, and conditions. Members of two unions will walk out on Wednesday, 27 July, affecting rail services across the country – the latest industrial action adding to the country’s transport woes. Who is going on strike? Members

The British arm of EY, the accountancy firm, has drafted in one of the City’s top investment banks to advise on an impending $80bn break-up that will shake up the global accountancy profession. Sky News has learnt that EY’s UK board has asked Rothschild to advise on the implications of a separation of its audit

London Southend Airport has contacted airlines offering to host flights being cancelled by busier airports. It comes after weeks of disruption across the aviation sector with post-COVID demand booming and many airports and airlines unable to cope. Speaking to Sky News, the boss of Southend Airport Glyn Jones said the past few months had been

The UK economy is facing a labour crisis that is affecting every sector of the economy, from agriculture to airlines, and hospitality to hi-tech industries. At its heart is a shortage of people to do the jobs required to help the economy recover and grow after the pandemic, the product of a unique combination of

Retail sales dipped by 0.1% in June 2022, less than experts had expected but continuing a downward trajectory that reflects an economy grappling with record food and fuel prices. Non-food stores, such as clothing and household goods, which slumped by 4.7% and 3.7% respectively, were hit particularly hard, according to data from the Office of

Regulators have told airlines that they must treat passengers better when dealing with disruption. In a joint letter to carriers. the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said passengers “could experience significant harm unless airlines meet their obligations”. They said some airlines were not doing enough to avoid “engaging in

Sports Direct’s parent firm, Frasers Group, has reported a bumper profit for the past year despite a “significant increase” in running costs. The Mike Ashley-founded business, which also runs House of Fraser and Game stores, saw adjusted pre-tax profits jump to £344.8m for the year to April, compared with a £39.9m loss in the previous