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Wednesday newspaper round-up: Sainsbury's, Boots, IDS, Purplebricks

(Sharecast News) - Regulators should take action to curb a sharp rise in the price of infant formula, pregnancy campaigners have said, after a UK survey found more than half of women felt anxious about the cost of feeding their babies, with the number who expressed concerned rising by a quarter in two years. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) found 65% of mothers were worried about the price of feeding their babies, and the same number said it had a negative impact on their family's finances. A third of women felt it was "better" for babies to be fed the more expensive milk, despite there being no nutritional benefits. - Guardian

The chief executive of Sainsbury's has defended its decision to sell data on the shopping habits of his customers to TV and consumer goods manufacturers looking to target their advertising. Simon Roberts has said the supermarket group protects personal data "incredibly carefully" and that its strategy had made adverts more "relevant" for shoppers. - Guardian

The US owner of Boots is weighing a £7bn UK listing of the high street pharmacy chain in plans that could provide a much-needed boost for London's ailing stock market. Walgreens Boots Alliance is understood to be looking at options for Boots, two years after it abandoned a sale of the 174-year-old UK company. Boots' management is said to be pushing Walgreens toward an initial public offering (IPO) which would mark a return of the company to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) following a 16-year hiatus. - Telegraph

The Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services (IDS) is mulling a bid of up to €500 million for Packeta, a Czech parcels business. The group, which operates in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Germany as well as the Czech Republic, was put up for sale in May this year. The latest round of bids are due to be tabled by Friday. - The Times

Homeowners can now sell their houses for nothing through Purplebricks as the online estate agent tries to claw back market share it lost over the past couple of chaotic years. The agent, which unlike its more traditional rivals has no high street presence, will value a home, list it on Zoopla and handle the negotiation process free of charge. - 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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