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.

Thursday newspaper round-up: X, Marks & Spencer, Volvo

(Sharecast News) - More than a quarter of advertisers are planning to cut spending on Elon Musk's X over concerns about the social media platform's content and trust in the information disseminated, according to new global research. Advertising revenue flowing to X has been in freefall since Musk bought the site, then known as Twitter, for $44bn (£38bn) in October 2022, claiming it had not lived up to its potential as a platform for "free speech". - Guardian Marks & Spencer is using artificial intelligence to advise shoppers on their outfit choices based on their body shape and style preferences, as part of efforts to increase online sales. The 130-year-old retailer is using the technology to personalise consumers' online experience, and suggest items to buy. - Guardian

The BBC has confirmed plans to cut dozens more jobs in its local operations even as bosses pledged to spend £80m on diversity programmes. The BBC will cut around 115 editorial and production roles as it battles to plug a black hole in its finances, equivalent to 3pc of the division's workforce. Further cuts are planned in operations departments. - Telegraph

Volvo, the Swedish car marque renowned for its environmental commitment, has scrapped plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 in the latest sign of a global slowdown in growth for battery-powered vehicles. Another of Europe's leading car makers, Germany's Volkswagen, has indicated it could shed thousands of jobs because of expected lower demand in a market disrupted by political and regulatory diktats on zero-emission vehicles. - The Times

The proportion of former rental properties for sale is the highest on record, an increase that may be driven by landlords' fears of an increase in capital gains tax in the budget, according to Rightmove. Eighteen per cent of properties for sale were previously on the rental market, compared with 8 per cent in 2010. The property website said that landlords' fears that the budget on October 30 would result in an increase in capital gains tax - a tax on the profit made when an asset is sold - could be behind the surge. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Wednesday newspaper round-up: Telecoms companies, zero-hours contracts, Boeing
(Sharecast News) - The UK advertising watchdog has cracked down on marketing campaigns by telecoms companies including BT, EE, Virgin Media and O2 for misleading consumers about price rises added to their bills during their contracts. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a batch of rulings against ads run by BT, its subsidiaries EE and Plusnet, as well as TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media broadband. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Winter blackouts, Selfridges, Richemont
(Sharecast News) - Ticket sales for the Oasis reunion tour helped to increase non-essential spending by British consumers to the highest level this year in September, amid a bumper month for retailers. In a sign of resilience despite a pre-budget hit to consumer confidence, industry figures show retail sales and discretionary spending on entertainment, meals out and little luxuries rose sharply last month. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Retailers, Telegraph, pension funds
(Sharecast News) - More than 70 retailers, including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Ikea, are lobbying the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, for a 20% cut to business rates, warning that the property tax could force tens of thousands of shops to shut. In a letter to Reeves coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), executives are pushing the Treasury to introduce a "retail rates corrector" on the levy, which is a property-based tax charged by local councils and imposed on businesses including retailers, pubs, factories and company offices. - Guardian
Sunday newspaper round-up: Climate Change, The Telegraph, Stamp duty
(Sharecast News) - Humanity has failed at the goal of keeping the degree of global warming below 1.5C. According to the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Jim Skea, the planet was on course to warm by 3C by 2100. But surface temperatures would rise by more than those of the sea. Furthermore, western Europe and the UK were at threat from even greater warming, possibly as much as 5C by the turn of the century. - The Sunday 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.