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International Personal Finance swings to loss amid Covid crisis
International Personal Finance reported a 22% fall in revenue in its final results on Thursday, to £772. 2m, as its customer numbers were down 20% year-on-year at 1. 68 million.
Vivo Energy FY profits drop as revenues slide on Covid-19 impacts
Fuels and lubricants retailer Vivo Energy said on Wednesday that gross profits had declined in 2020 as revenues slipped due to Covid-19 impacts throughout the year.
Biffa earnings to beat expectations, shares jump
Biffa said on Wednesday that full-year earnings would come in ahead of expectations, after the third national lockdown had less of an impact than feared.
JLEN acquiring grid-scale battery storage project in Dundee
JLEN Environmental Assets Group announced the acquisition of Gigabox South Road (GSRL) on Wednesday, which holds the development rights to construct the West Gourdie project, a 50MW lithium-ion battery energy storage plant based in Dundee.
London open: Stocks rally as investors eye budget
London stocks rose in early trade on Wednesday as investors eyed chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget, much of which has already been leaked.
Polymetal revenue, earnings surge in 2020
Polymetal reported a 28% improvement in its revenue for 2020 on Wednesday, to $2. 87bn, as its average realised gold and silver prices rose 27% for both metals during the year.
Beazley CEO Horton quits after 13 years
Andrew Horton has stepped down as chief executive of Beazley after almost 13 years to lead an Australian insurance company.
WPP buys NN4M for undisclosed sum
Advertising company WPP said it had bought retail commerce services group NN4M for an undisclosed sum.
US court rules in favour of AstraZeneca over Symbicort
A US court has ruled in favour of AstraZeneca in patent litigation concerning asthma treatment Symbicort, the Anglo-Swedish drugs firm said on Wednesday.
Micro Focus surges after signing commercial agreement with AWS
Micro Focus shares surged on Wednesday after the software company said it had signed a commercial agreement with Amazon Web Services.
Playtech names 888's Mattingley as chairman
Gambling technology firm Playtech named 888 Holdings' Brian Mattingley as chairman designate on Wednesday, with his appointment set to take effect on 1 June.
DS Smith sees trading in line with expectations
Packaging company DS Smith said trading was in line with expectations as higher box volumes were offset by a rise in input costs.
US close: Stocks take a bite of Monday's solid gains
Wall Street stocks closed lower on Tuesday following the S&P 500's best session since June 2020.
Avast FY results underpinned by consumer direct desktop business
Avast reported a rise in full-year profit and revenue on Wednesday, underpinned by growth in its consumer direct desktop business as more people worked from home due to the pandemic.
Persimmon forward sales rise, Hiscox swings to full-year loss
London open The FTSE 100 is expected to open 41 points higher on Wednesday, having closed up 0. 38% on Tuesday at 6,613. 75.
Persimmon pledges return to pre-crisis shareholder payouts
Persimmon pledged to restore shareholder payouts to pre-crisis levels in 2021 as the housebuilder reported an 18% decline in annual profit.
Rio Tinto chairman to step down following 'tragic' destruction of ancient caves
The chairman of Rio Tinto is to leave the blue chip miner after conceding he was “ultimately accountable” for failings that led to the destruction of ancient rock shelters in Australia.
Hiscox swings to loss on higher Covid claims
Insurer Hiscox swung to a full-year loss driven by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and pulled its final dividend as it was hit by higher business claims after losing a court case over policy wordings last in January.
London pre-open: Stocks to rise ahead of Sunak's budget
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Wednesday as investors eye chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget, much of which has already been leaked.
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Guarantor loans complaints, Greensill Capital, Blackstone boss
Complaints to the financial ombudsman about a type of high-cost loan where the debt is backed by a relative or friend have leapt by more than 3,000% in a year and are running at almost 800 a week. The surge in the number of unhappy customers means that sub-prime lender Amigo – the biggest provider of so-called guarantor loans – has become the UK’s most complained-about financial firm, according to the latest data. - Guardian.