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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.

Monday newspaper round-up: Telecoms providers, NatWest, energy firms

(Sharecast News) - Britain's biggest telecoms providers are preparing to launch inflation-busting price increases for broadband and mobile contracts this spring, hitting consumers with a combined bill worth £600m more than if these deals had matched the cost of living. BT, EE, Vodafone, Virgin Media, O2 and TalkTalk are to increase bills for tens of millions of customers under "mid-contract price rises" from April and May. - Guardian NatWest is set to reveal its largest annual profit since the 2008 financial crisis amid speculation that the taxpayer-backed bank will ramp up the size of its bonus pool just as consumers struggle with the cost of living crisis. The banking group, which is still 45% state-owned, is expected to report £5.1bn in pre-tax profits for 2022 when it reveals annual results on Friday, according to City analysts. - Guardian

A million more Britons will start paying tax on their savings this year as a result of a stealth raid by the Treasury and higher interest rates, analysis for the Telegraph shows. Ten straight Bank of England rate rises from 0.1pc to 4pc have boosted earnings on thousands of savings accounts after years of dismal returns. However, a £1,000 tax-free allowance on savings interest that was designed to spare most people from the taxman has not been increased in line with inflation since it was introduced in 2016. - Telegraph

More gas and electricity suppliers could go bust because soaring numbers of households are unable to pay their bills, the industry body has warned. Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of Energy UK, urged the government to scrap April's 20 per cent rise in energy bills, saying that otherwise "millions more households will fall into debt", with "disastrous" consequences for consumers and companies. - The Times

The tycoon considering a bid for Manchester United has raised €3.5 billion via his Ineos business to build the greenest chemical cracker in Europe. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has landed finance from 21 commercial banks for the project located in Antwerp, Belgium. - 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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