Skip Header
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: 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 Two former senior figures at bankrupt Woking council are to be investigated by the UK's accounting watchdog after it racked up more than £2bn in debt on a failed investment spree. The Surrey council declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023 after ploughing vast sums of borrowed money into skyscrapers, a luxury hotel and other risky commercial investments, in what was one of the biggest financial failures in local government history. - Guardian

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled plans to approve a major oil development in the North Sea despite opposition within his Cabinet. The Prime Minister on Thursday suggested he would not stand in the way of the Rosebank oil field as a license had previously been granted. The future of Rosebank, which is backed by Norway's Equinor, has been in doubt after a court overturned its permit by ruling the previous government had failed to take into account climate concerns. - Telegraph

The head of a leading consumer watchdog has been ousted amid Rachel Reeves's push to spur growth. Abby Thomas unexpectedly quit as chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on Thursday, which is responsible for resolving disputes between City firms and their customers. - Telegraph

Amazon missed sales expectations for its cloud computing business, fuelling concerns about the tens of billions of dollars it has invested in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing business, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $28.79 billion, below Wall Street estimates of $28.84 billion. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Thursday newspaper round-up: John Lewis Partnership, Ineos, Telegraph Media Group
(Sharecast News) - The owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has tripled profits to £126m but workers at the staff-owned retail group have missed out on a bonus for a third year in a row. The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) said sales rose 3% to £12.8bn in the 12 months to 25 January 2025, as underlying profit rose from £42m. However, the company said it was prioritising investment over the bonus with plans to spend £600m on transforming the business. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: ONS, Toyota, Reach
(Sharecast News) - The UK's embattled statistics agency cannot reverse a pandemic-era decision to release official data on the state of the economy before financial markets open because its creaking website could crash, it has emerged. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) had sought views on whether to revert to releasing statistics - such as GDP and inflation data - at 9.30am. The releases were moved forward to 7am in March 2020 to allow investors time to digest consequential data - such as the subsequent record contraction in the economy - before the start of London stock market trading at 8am. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Jes Staley, Unilever, ONS
(Sharecast News) - Environmental campaigners will challenge the granting of a high-interest £3bn emergency loan to struggling Thames Water at an appeal on Tuesday, arguing the "eye-watering" costs for a short-term fix are not in the public interest. With protests planned outside the court of appeal, Charlie Maynard, a Liberal Democrat MP who represents the campaigners, will argue in a three-day hearing that the public and consumer interest is not served by the debt package, which comes with a bill of almost £1bn in interest payments and financial adviser fees. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Hiring, Starlink, Thames Water
(Sharecast News) - Companies are putting the brakes on hiring new staff amid a "subdued" economic outlook and rising wage bills, according to the latest business surveys. In signs of a weakening UK labour market, the consultancy KPMG and the trade body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said a marked decline in the number of people being placed in permanent and temporary roles continued in February, although hiring declined at a slower pace than in January. - 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.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.