Financial news

• BA owner’s shares fall as Virgin Atlantic warns of slowdown in US demand

  31-03-2025 19:39 via theguardian.com
  
  Sir Richard Branson’s airline returns to profitability but says consumer uncertainty is hitting bookingsVirgin Atlantic has warned of a slowdown in demand for transatlantic travel, prompting a further fall in the share price of rival British Airways’ owner, IAG.Both UK long-haul carriers lean heavily on lucrative routes between London and North America to boost their profits, and analysts have warned that economic uncertainty and growing tension between the US and Europe could start
  
  Read more

• Sun owner’s losses related to phone-hacking claims top £1.2bn

  31-03-2025 19:27 via theguardian.com
  
  News Group Newspapers reports a pre-tax loss for the year to 30 June 2024 of £18m, its smallest since 2011The owner of the Sun has run up more than £1.2bn in losses since the start of its costly battle to end allegations of illegal phone hacking almost 15 years ago.News Group Newspapers (NGN), a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK which publishes the Sun and retains liability for the activities of the now defunct News of the World, reported a pre-tax loss of £18m in th
  
  Read more

• The barbarians are at the gates of the sewage works | Nils Pratley

  31-03-2025 19:24 via theguardian.com
  
  Choosing KKR as the preferred bidder for the UK’s biggest water company may not fill Thames Water’s workers with joyThames Water names KKR as preferred bidder
  The answer to too much private equity ownership at Thames Water, it turns out, is more private equity ownership.Say hello to KKR, the preferred bidder for the UK’s biggest water company. If you remember them as the original “barbarians at the gate”, the US private equity firm would probably point out that the
  
  Read more

• ‘Awful April’: bill rises Britons face, from council tax to energy and cars

  31-03-2025 18:00 via theguardian.com
  
  How the wave of increases will hit your household finances – and what you can do about itMillions of Britons brace for across-the-board bill risesWill bills continue to rise and what does it mean for Labour?‘It’s relentless’: Britons react to April bill risesMillions of households face sharp rises in everything from council tax to water from Tuesday, in what has been labelled “Awful April”.The exact amount extra that consumers will pay will depend on where the
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Will bills continue to rise and what does it mean for Labour?

  31-03-2025 16:18 via theguardian.com
  
  February’s dip in inflation was only a blip – the pain for consumers and the UK economy is poised to continueMillions of Britons brace for across-the-board bill risesBill rises Britons face, from council tax to energy and cars‘It’s relentless’: Britons react to April bill risesThe painful jump in household bills from Tuesday will push the UK’s poorest households further into poverty. The increase will also provide a further jolt to Labour ministers still reeli
  
  Read more

• UK households urged to take photo of energy meter before April 1

  31-03-2025 15:16 via express.co.uk
  
  Energy bills will increase by 6.4% for millions of households from April as Ofgem's new price cap rises.
  
  Read more

• HMRC message for parents who could be missing out on up to £2,000 a year

  31-03-2025 15:04 via express.co.uk
  
  HM Revenue and Customs have issued a fresh warning for parents to see if they can save up to £2,000 on childcare for the next financial year
  
  Read more

• Tell us: have you had to pay a surcharge to keep your pet in UK rented accommodation?

  31-03-2025 14:29 via theguardian.com
  
  We’d like to hear from UK renters who have been asked to pay a fee or higher rent because they owned a pet MP Taiwo Owatemi’s £900 expense claim for a landlord’s surcharge to let her keep her dog in her London flat has prompted ministers to ask the Commons authorities for a review of allowance rules.The MP, who has a cockapoo called Bella, made her expense claim last August and it was accepted by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa). But security minis
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK savers could have up to £110,000 protected under regulator’s new plan

  31-03-2025 14:27 via theguardian.com
  Rise from current limit of £85,000 would be first big change to protection scheme since 2008 banking crisisBusiness live – latest updatesUK savers would have up to £110,000 of their deposits protected if their bank or building society goes bust under proposals put forward by the Bank of England.The plan, put forward by the central bank on Monday, represents a near-30% hike from the current limit of £85,000, and would mark the first substantial change to the savers’
  
  Read more

• Young Brits swap housing deposits for wellness retreats and crypto investments

  31-03-2025 14:02 via express.co.uk
  
  A recent poll has found young Brits are focused on shorter, six to 18 month-long, saving ambitions.
  
  Read more

• Pensioners could miss monthly payment under strict DWP rule

  31-03-2025 13:54 via express.co.uk
  
  Around 1.4 million people rely on this monthly payment from the DWP.
  
  Read more

• Thames Water names US private equity group KKR as preferred bidder

  31-03-2025 13:32 via theguardian.com
  
  KKR expected to acquire stake worth £4bn as UK’s biggest water supplier tries to stave off nationalisationComment: The barbarians are at the gates of the sewage worksThames Water has picked the US investment firm KKR to take a stake in the business, as the embattled water company fights to stave off nationalisation.The UK’s biggest water supplier, which is struggling under a debt pile of close to £20bn, said it had selected KKR as a “preferred partner” as it s
  
  Read more

• Last chance to get free £175 from Nationwide today with ditch and switch bonus

  31-03-2025 13:22 via express.co.uk
  
  Nationwide said it would be withdrawing its current account £175 switching bonus on 31 March.
  
  Read more

• Experts say savers in for 'rude awakening' as ISA rates set to change

  31-03-2025 12:54 via express.co.uk
  
  A new survey found people unaware of tax raids on their savings - potentially costing them money
  
  Read more

• Primark boss admits ‘error of judgment’ and resigns after woman’s allegation

  31-03-2025 12:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Paul Marchant accepts behaviour fell below standards expected at owner Associated British FoodsThe boss of Primark has admitted an “error of judgment” and resigned following an allegation made by a woman about his behaviour towards her in a social situation, the retailer’s owner has said.Associated British Foods (ABF) said Paul Marchant accepted that his actions fell below the standards it expected and had resigned with immediate effect, exiting on Sunday. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Top 5 Cash ISAs to open before Sunday as rates increased

  31-03-2025 12:15 via express.co.uk
  
  Savers have just days left to maximise their Cash ISA rates before they reset for the new financial year.
  
  Read more

• Poll reveals many Brits doubt solar panels suitability in the UK due to climate concerns

  31-03-2025 12:13 via express.co.uk
  
  A recent survey has highlighted Brits' limited knowledge on how energy is produced and where it comes from, including solar power.
  
  Read more

• UK households have days left to add £5,750 a year to state pension

  31-03-2025 12:03 via express.co.uk
  
  Brits are being urged to do a review of their National Insurance records as a crucial deadline approaches.
  
  Read more

• ‘Sim farms’, high heels, zombie knives: what scammers buy with the money they steal

  31-03-2025 11:30 via theguardian.com
  
  A haul of items seized by police reveals the scale and threat of payment fraud – a crime that can have significant emotional impact on victimsOn a shelf between Alexander McQueen shoes, Louis Vuitton handbags and Versace heels in the police evidence room are an 18-inch machete and a serrated zombie knife. Alongside the expensive fashions bought with the proceeds of serious fraud are the tools needed to achieve it, says DCI Paul Curtis.“These are serious offenders and for whateve
  
  Read more

• How has Deliveroo turned a profit? By slashing the pay and dismantling the rights of riders like me | Shaf Hussain

  31-03-2025 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Our work is dangerous and the pay only gets worse, while the CEO has just sold £15m in shares – we deserve betterShaf Hussain is a Deliveroo rider and chair of the couriers branch of the IWGB unionIt’s taken Deliveroo more than a decade to do it, but this month, the company made an annual profit for the first time. This might come as a surprise. If you live in London, you probably see one of the 15,000 or so couriers like me zooming past you several times a day. And with Covid
  
  Read more

• April stamp duty hike: Full breakdown of UK property prices to be affected

  31-03-2025 10:51 via express.co.uk
  
  Stamp duty changes coming into effect from April 1 will increase costs for some property buyers, according to Rightmove's latest analysis.
  
  Read more

• Martin Lewis says stop 'burning cash' by paying more than £10 for household bill

  31-03-2025 10:35 via express.co.uk
  
  If you're paying more than £10 for this one bill, Martin Lewis says you're simply "burning cash".
  
  Read more

• DWP names the 3 benefits to be first to face new bank account checks

  31-03-2025 09:35 via express.co.uk
  
  The indicators to be looked into will be based on the rules people must meet to qualify for benefits.
  
  Read more

• Tesla investors brace for global sales data amid consumer backlash over Elon Musk

  31-03-2025 08:35 via theguardian.com
  
  First-quarter deliveries will be significantly down, say analysts, with the CEO and his links with Donald Trump the ‘core toxic issue’Business live – latest updatesTesla investors are bracing for evidence of declining global demand this week as the electric carmaker battles headwinds including a consumer backlash against its chief executive, Elon Musk.On 2 April, the US company will release data for first-quarter deliveries – a proxy for sales – that is expected to
  
  Read more

Follow @financialnwsUK on Twitter!