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Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, ticket touting, BlackRock

(Sharecast News) - The number of people in England and Wales who sought help with energy bills jumped by 20% last year, according to Citizens Advice, which assisted 60,000 households struggling with the soaring cost of gas and electricity. That number was double the figure for 2020, the national consumer advice charity said, with problems with billing being the single most common type of issue raised with its service providers. - Guardian The price at which tickets for live events can be resold is to be capped under "gamechanging" proposals put forward by the government to crack down on touting in the sector. In a move hailed by music industry figures, the culture minister, Lisa Nandy, has launched a consultation that she said would end the "misery" of fans being exploited by touts, some of whom have made huge profits by selling hundreds of tickets a year. - Guardian

More than 100 earthquakes that damaged households across Surrey were likely caused by fracking, according to a landmark study by the University College London (UCL). As part of their findings, researchers suggested that oil extraction from a Surrey well led to powerful tremors across various villages in 2018-19, including Newdigate and Charlwood - which lie just four miles from Gatwick Airport. - Telegraph

BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, is abandoning an influential net-zero alliance after coming under pressure from Republican politicians over its support for "woke" climate policies. The New York-headquartered firm, which manages $11.5 trillion of assets, said it would leave the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Members of the group pledge to support the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including by using their votes on behalf of shareholders at corporate meetings. - The Times

The increase in employers' national insurance contributions will result in an overall slowing of wage growth in the long run, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has said. Sarah Breeden, who is in charge of financial stability at the Bank, said she no longer feared a resurgence in consumer price inflation this year as the economy has slowed, the labour market has cooled and government tax changes to NICs could push down on earnings growth. - The Times

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Sunday newspaper round-up: Etihad float, Shein, Thames Water
(Sharecast News) - Abu Dhabi based carrier Etihad is planning to float a stake of up to 20% on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange. Sources indicate that it could command a valuation of $5bn (£4bn). It would be the second such transaction for its boss, Antonoaldo Neves. In 2017, the former McKinsey partner floated Azul, Brazil's third-largest airline, on the New York Stock Exchange. For Neves, any airline that aspires to be "relevant" needs to tap into different sources of capital. Its goal is to fly 170 jets by 2030, up from 93 at present. - The Sunday Times
Friday newspaper round-up: Gambling sector, FOS, Amazon
(Sharecast News) - The gambling regulator has accidentally handed over more than 4,000 sensitive documents to lawyers acting for the media tycoon Richard Desmond, in an "unprecedented" blunder during its legal battle over the £6.4bn national lottery contract, the Guardian understands. Northern & Shell (N&S), the investment group owned by Desmond, is suing the Gambling Commission for £200m in damages over its handling of the lottery licence award process. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: CMA, Riverford, Lloyds, Arm Holdings
(Sharecast News) - The appointment of the former boss of Amazon UK to lead the competition watchdog poses a threat to its independence and pledge to hold big tech to account, according to a group including tech companies and the former business secretary Vince Cable. The group - which includes the News Media Association, the Firefox developer Mozilla, the consumer group Which? and the Future of Technology Institute - has written to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to raise concerns about the appointment of Doug Gurr as the interim chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Johnson & Johnson, BoE
(Sharecast News) - Thames Water may need as much as £10bn in debt and equity investment to repair its finances, according to a representative of creditors hoping to lend the struggling utility another £3bn. London's high court heard evidence on Tuesday that suggested the UK's largest water company may need significantly more resources than the roughly £6.3bn it has previously indicated. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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