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Tuesday newspaper round-up: Broadband, National Grid, energy companies

(Sharecast News) - More than half of UK broadband customers have experienced problems with their connections, according to a report that says telecoms providers are adding "insult to injury" after forcing inflation-busting price rises on to their customers. Many of the UK's mobile and telecoms companies have been accused of "greedflation" for pushing through mid-contract price increases of up to 17.3%. - Guardian

The former finance director of the collapsed outsourcing company Carillion has been banned from serving as a company director for 11 years over his role in the company dishing out dividends of more than £50m while misstating its financial position by more than £200m. The outsourcer's implosion in 2018 was one of the most high-profile failures in British corporate history, costing 3,000 jobs and plunging 450 public sector projects, including hospitals, schools and prisons, into chaos. - Guardian

Off a backroad and behind a gate near Heathrow Airport stands one of the UK's handful of hydrogen filling stations. The familiar canopy, pumps, no smoking signs and other paraphernalia are present, but there are none of the smells or stains of a petrol station as enough fuel to travel hundreds of miles is dispensed in under four minutes in the form of a clear, odourless gas. - Telegraph

National Grid is urging factory owners to cut their electricity use at peak times as part of efforts to bolster power supplies this winter. The Grid is in talks with the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG), which represents heavy industry, over ways for members to reduce their consumption amid concerns of another supply crunch as the war in Ukraine drags on. - Telegraph

Insurance companies have sounded a warning note before a key policy initiative to encourage British pension funds to invest more domestically and in higher-risk assets. Ahead of the announcement, which is expected from the chancellor next week, the Association of British Insurers said there must be no mandatory rules forcing pension funds to invest in any particular area, adding that any compulsion would raise "the real risk of asset bubbles". - The Times

Energy companies supplying about a third of British households do not meet Ofgem's financial resilience standards, according to the regulator's latest analysis. Ofgem has written to energy companies warning them that they must use an expected return to profitability this year to bolster their balance sheets before they consider paying dividends to shareholders. - 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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