Open an account Help & support Register Account summary Log out
Skip Header
Home Stock market news

Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, John Lewis, EDF, HSBC

Fri 12 Aug 2022 07:24

(Sharecast News) - Ministers have been warned that energy bills will cost more than two month's wages next year unless new help is given to households, as the chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, told firms they must invest their "extraordinary" profits or face the threat of further taxation. The TUC ramped up calls for the government to cancel the October energy price cap rise, saying the cost of living crisis this winter was an "emergency of pandemic scale". - Guardian

John Lewis is to retire its 97-year-old price pledge "never knowingly undersold" on 22 August but has yet to reveal a catchy new slogan to take its place. The department store chain told customers in an email it will not accept new claims under the pledge from 23 August, instead promising them - rather long-windedly - it is "always knowingly committed to outstanding value". - Guardian

EDF energy customers in Britain are paying almost two-and-a-half times as much as their counterparts in France after Emmanuel Macron imposed strict caps on price rises. EDF customers in Britain have had their bills capped at £1,971 by energy regulator Ofgem, while French customers on regulated tariffs face bills of around €950 (£803). - Telegraph

The Chinese group that wants to break up HSBC has escalated its campaign against the bank by claiming its plan would unlock as much as $35 billion in value and dismissing the lender's warnings about the dangers of a split. Ping An, the insurer that is HSBC's biggest shareholder with a 9 per cent stake, has urged the FTSE 100 lender to spin off its Asian business into a separate company listed in Hong Kong. Bosses at the bank have rejected the idea, but a source close to Ping An said yesterday that HSBC had exaggerated the risks posed by a break-up. - The Times

Sam Laidlaw, the former Centrica boss and founder of Neptune Energy, has warned that the windfall tax could limit the oil and gas explorer's long-term investment in Britain. The new tax regime "increased uncertainty" and would lead to companies such as Neptune "favouring" projects in countries where energy policies "support a stable and predictable investment climate to encourage new investment", he said. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Thu 29 Oct 2026 07:19
Thursday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Toblerone, Rolls-Royce
(Sharecast News) - A group of creditors to troubled Thames Water are poised to vote on whether to grant an emergency £2.4bn loan to keep the company afloat, as campaigners raise concerns it could add £40 to each household's bills in interest alone. A consortium of creditors, called London & Valley Water, will vote on Thursday on whether to increase a funding facility for the debt-laden utility company to £5.4bn to keep it operating to autumn 2027. - Guardian
Wed 28 Oct 2026 07:16
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Sizewell plant, Rosebank oilfield, Google
(Sharecast News) - The government's plan to fund a multibillion-pound nuclear plant at the Sizewell site in Suffolk represents a "terrible deal" for the UK taxpayer over the rest of the century, according to the government's spending watchdog. MPs on the public accounts committee (PAC) have warned the government that the cost of the Sizewell C nuclear reactor could spiral to almost £48bn, leaving bill payers on the hook to provide an extra £9.8bn to construct the plant before 2040 and a further £12bn over its 60-year operating life. - Guardian
Tue 27 Oct 2026 07:12
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Shop price inflation, Microsoft, Helsing
(Sharecast News) - Shop price inflation has risen to the highest level in two and a half years, according to the British Retail Consortium, which warned that "the dam is starting to break" when it comes to retailers trying to limit price rises for customers. The lobby group said shop price inflation was 2.1% year on year in October, a sharp rise compared with 1.4% in September, and an indication that retailers were beginning to pass on the rising costs of energy and food ingredients since the Middle East conflict broke out. - Guardian
Mon 26 Oct 2026 07:23
Monday newspaper round-up: Pensioners and the Budget, interest rate expectations, Audi US factory
(Sharecast News) - The chancellor will use his Budget this week to protect pensioners and those saving for their retirement, as he announces plans to shield nearly 1m people from paying income tax. John Healey is expected to confirm on Wednesday that the full state pension will rise by £489 to £13,036 - equivalent to 3.9%. However, the rise will push about 1m people on low incomes who rely on the state pension above the £12, 570 personal allowance threshold, meaning they would be dragged into paying income tax. To retain the principle that the state pension is not taxable, Healey is expected to announce a rise in the tax-free allowance for low-income pensions to £13,036. The move will cost taxpayers £200m a year by 20230 - The Times

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.

Awards

Award 1
Award 2
Award 3

Policies and important information

Accessibility | Conflicts of interest statement | Consumer Duty Target Market | Consumer Duty Value Assessment Statements | Cookie policy | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Reports | Doing Business with Fidelity | Investing in Fidelity funds | Legal information | Modern slavery | Mutual respect policy | Privacy statement | Remuneration policy | Statutory and Regulatory disclosures | Whistleblowing programme

Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance, the performance of investments is not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. When investments have particular tax features, these will depend on your personal circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. This website does not contain any personal recommendations for a particular course of action, service or product. You should regularly review your investment objectives and choices and, if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable for you, you should contact an authorised financial adviser. Before opening an account, please read the ‘Doing Business with Fidelity’ document which incorporates our client terms. Prior to investing into a fund, please read the relevant key information document or Product Summary document which contains important information about the fund.

This website is issued by Financial Administration Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FCA Register number 122169) and registered in England and Wales under company number 1629709 whose registered address is Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 6RP.

© FIL Limited 2026