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Monday newspaper round-up: John Lewis, heat pumps, THG

(Sharecast News) - The outgoing chair of John Lewis has insisted that the retail group is "back on track" and "more fit for the future" with an improving financial position enabling it to spend money refurbishing Waitrose supermarkets and opening convenience stores. Sharon White, who will retire as chair of the John Lewis Partnership in September, said the upmarket Waitrose brand was "underrepresented in convenience" as it sought new avenues of growth. - Guardian The UK's drive to replace gas boilers with heat pumps is being stymied by a lack of consumer demand and a shortage of skilled installers to fit heat pumps where they are wanted, according to an industry survey. The most comprehensive poll of heat pump installers to date found that the biggest barrier was the low number of households choosing to get one fitted. - Guardian

Rishi Sunak's Covid start-up fund has pushed dozens of companies into liquidation in an attempt to recover taxpayer loans. The Future Fund has issued winding up petitions to 32 companies that it backed during the pandemic, according to court records. In many cases it has resulted in the business being ordered to cease trading by courts and the company wound up without the fund recouping its investment. - Telegraph

The EU has clinched last-ditch talks with Beijing over plans to impose higher tariffs on Chinese imports of electric cars amid fears of a looming tit-for-tat trade war. Trade ministers from China and the European Commission agreed to start negotiations to settle a dispute over EU plans to raise tariffs on electric vehicle imports from China to up to 48pc. - Telegraph

Burnout, toxic management and a lack of meaningful work are three of the main reasons that workers "quietly quit", according to an expert who has studied the phenomenon. Employees dubbed "quiet quitters" are so-called because they do the minimum work required in their job and do not go above and beyond in their efforts. Research from Gallup found this month that the UK's employees were among the least motivated by their work in Europe, with only 10 per cent saying that they were engaged in their job. The lack of engagement in work is estimated to cost the UK economy 11 per cent of GDP, or £257 billion annually. - The Times

The chairman of THG is on course to avoid an investor revolt at the health and beauty retail group's annual meeting against his reappointment after criticism from an activist investor. Shareholders are due to support the re-election of Lord Allen of Kensington at the company's annual meeting despite calls from Kelso Group, a small shareholder, for a "debate" about his future. - The Times

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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
Monday newspaper round-up: Zero-hours contracts, Barclays, Asos
(Sharecast News) - Hundreds of thousands of British workers are on zero-hours contracts despite being with the same employer for years, according to analysis from the TUC. The majority of zero-hours contract workers have been with their employer for more than 12 months, while one in eight have not been granted regular employment rights after more than a decade working in the same place, the organisation said. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Apple, Daily Mail, OpenAI, Homebase
(Sharecast News) - Apple slightly beat analysts' expectations in its first-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2025 on Thursday. The iPhone-maker's revenue rose by 4%, coming in at $124.30bn, barely above estimates of $124.12bn. Earnings per share were $2.40, just ahead of analysts' expectations of $2.35. Shares rose more than 8% in extended trading after CEO Tim Cook indicated in an earnings call on Thursday that Apple is on the trajectory for revenue growth next quarter. - 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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