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.

Sunday newspaper round-up: Rolls-Royce, Minimum wage, Metro Bank

(Sharecast News) - Rolls-Royce chief Tufan Erginbilgic is expected to push for government backing for the company's small modular reactors. The engineer has already received approximately £200m in government funding and has a lead on its domestic and foreign rivals, but Erginbligic is worried that they might catch up. The government's lukewarm attitude may also make potential foreign buyers hesitate. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

Business leaders have sounded the alarm over a 10% increase in the minimum wage announced by the Chancellor last week. They argue that it will push their costs higher and undermine attempts to lower inflation. The 102p increase to £11.44 an hour from next April will be the third-largest ever. Business leaders did recognise the moral case for the increase but were concerned by the economic impact. - The Sunday Times

Hedge funds have piled on bets against Metro Bank before a crunch vote by the lender's shareholders on a £925m rescue plan. If the funding package is rejected then the Bank of England might deem it no longer viable and place it into resolution. Short-sellers on the other hand stand to reap considerable profits. Under the terms of the plan, one of its shareholders, Jaime Gilinski, will inject £102m into the lender and raise his stake to 52.9%. With 6.4% of its shares out on loan, Metro had become the most shorted stock on the London market after Asos. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

Council leaders have warned that the new wave of austerity hinted at in the Chancellor's autumn statement will set off a fire sale of public assets and put the most vulnerable at risk. When settlements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were factored in, non-protected government departments in England were left facing an annual reduction of 3.4% for five years. Indeed, several "flagship blue counties" may be forced into bankruptcy as the 2024 elections are called. -Guardian

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

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
Thursday newspaper round-up: Car production, UK retailers, water bills, KPMG
(Sharecast News) - The architect of a ban on newspaper takeovers by foreign states has demanded that an Abu Dhabi fund be forced to sell The Telegraph by Easter. Baroness Stowell, the Conservative chairman of the Lords communications and digital committee, said the Government should impose an ultimatum on RedBird IMI. It should be backed by the threat of regulatory action, she said, to strip the fund of control of what has been dubbed "the newspaper auction from hell". - Telegraph

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.