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Monday newspaper round-up: UK recession, Hargreaves Lansdown, City hiring

(Sharecast News) - The UK is likely to enter a deeper recession than previously expected next year, while interest rates and inflation will be lower than forecast, according to revised analysis from Goldman Sachs. The US investment bank downgraded its outlook for Britain, in analysis released on Sunday, forecasting the UK economy would shrink by 1% next year, down from its previous estimate for a 0.4% contraction. - Guardian Hargreaves Lansdown, a top British investment platform, has been hit by a multimillion-pound lawsuit over the failure of fallen star manager Neil Woodford's equity income fund, which left hundreds of thousands of investors nursing losses. The claims management firm RGL said it had filed the claim in the high court in London on behalf of an initial 3,200 investors caught up in the scandal against the London blue-chip company, which promoted the former flagship Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF). - Guardian

Hiring in the City of London has plunged almost by a third as economic turmoil spells the end of a dealmaking boom for banks and financial services companies, a leading recruiter has warned. Morgan McKinley, which specialises in hiring for financial services roles, found that the number of vacant City jobs in the third quarter fell by 31pc to 7,907 from the previous three months. - Telegraph

Company directors could be jailed for not taking appropriate measures to prevent fraud at their organisations under proposals expected to be set out this week. MPs are due to propose an amendment to the economic crime and transparency bill which would include corporate and director-level liability for 'failure to prevent' criminal activity. - The Times

Shares in Asos face more pressure today after the online fashion retailer confirmed that it was in talks with lenders over the terms of its £350 million borrowing facility. Asos said it was in the final stages of agreeing changes to the future financial covenants of its revolving credit facility, which matures in July 2024. The retailer said the changes would give it "increased financial flexibility, against the uncertain economic backdrop". It added: "Asos retains a strong liquidity position and this is a prudent step in the current environment." - The Times

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Monday newspaper round-up: Construction vacancies, Tesla, UK manufacturing
(Sharecast News) - Rachel Reeves will meet UK regulators on Monday after calling for more action to restrict red tape and spur economic growth. The chancellor argued that government plans would reduce costly delays and disputes, saving businesses billions, and said regulators must accept a more streamlined decision-making process. Reeves is expected to use the meeting to announce more detail on how the government will cut the cost of regulation by a quarter and set out plans to slim down or abolish regulators themselves. - Guardian
Sunday newspaper round-up: ITV, Tax, B & M
(Sharecast News) - ITV and All3Media's continue to forge ahead with their plans to create a £3bn British TV production giant. Ultimately, their idea is that the new venture will list on the London Stock Exchange. Although a deal remains far from certain, talks are understood to have reached a very detailed level. ITV's broadcast and streaming business would keep their own share quote, while ITV Studios was merged with All3. - The Financial Mail on Sunday
Friday newspaper round-up: Nationwide, Shein, Jes Staley
(Sharecast News) - Every little helps, so they say. Nationwide building society announced this week that it would be dishing out £50 mini-windfalls to more than 12 million members. And there should be more "free cash" coming down the track for many of them, as Nationwide hopes to announce its third annual "Fairer Share" payout in May. This would follow payments of £100 that were made in 2023 and 2024. - Guardian
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

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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