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☆ UK's FTSE 100 lags regional peers as banks, insurers fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index dipped 0.1%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.5%. The life insurance sector (.FTNMX303010) fell 0.4%, with Prudential (PRU.L) slipping 0.7% after Deutsche Bank reduced its price target on the stock. Banks (.FTNMX301010) slipped 1.7% following a 2.3% fall in HSBC (HSBA.L), which was the biggest weight on the FTSE 100. Among individual stocks Halfords Group (HFD.L) plunged 21.1% after the bicycles-to-car parts retailer narrowed its annual profit forecast range. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Andrew Bailey, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Eddie Cheng, Banks, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Eileen Soreng Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, REUTERS, Aviva, Bank of England, Prudential, Deutsche Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Allspring Global Investments, HSBC, Halfords, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Europe, United States, Bengaluru

☆ London stocks open lower as inflation data deepens rate hike concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pressured by a firm sterling , the export-oriented FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 0.5% at 0710 GMT. The FTSE 250 (.FTMC) mid-cap index shed 0.7%. After data showed consumer inflation was unchanged at 8.7% in May, contrary to expectations of a slight fall, traders ramped up their bets of a 50 basis point (bps) BoE rate hike on Thursday from the 25 bps hike anticipated earlier. In a testimony later in the day, Powell is poised to be questioned on the future of rate hikes by the world's most influential central bank. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jerome Powell, BoE, Powell, homebuilder, Ankika Biswas, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Bank of England, Federal, FTSE, Berkeley Group Holdings, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Tesco (TSCO.L) and Marks & Spencer (MKS.L), two of Britain's biggest retailers, posted better than expected Christmas sales as people snapped up festive treats despite a deepening cost-of-living crisis. In-store sales were particularly strong, with strikes by postal workers giving an extra reason to return to the High Street. Results on Wednesday from another big supermarket, Sainsbury's (SBRY.L), showed a similar trend, confounding retailers' worries that Christmas trading would be sluggish given double-digit UK inflation and low consumer confidence. It said on Thursday that its revenues were down 3% in the four months before Dec. 31, with UK sales down 8%. Outside the Christmas splurge on food and gifts, Britain's retail market is already finding consumers are cutting back.

☆ Commodity-linked stocks push FTSE 100 higher; retailers slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.6% to hover near a more than four-year high scaled on Wednesday, while the more domestically focused FTSE 250 mid-cap index (.FTMC) rose 0.9%. Retailers Tesco (TSCO.L) and Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) slipped between 0.3% and 1.6% despite strong sales, as both companies warned of inflationary pressures. Financial stocks were among the top gainers on the FTSE 100, with banks like HSBC (HSBA.L) and Barclays (BARC.L) rising 0.9% and 1.4%, respectively. The FTSE 100 has had a bright start to the year so far, rising in almost every session. Centrica (CNA.L) climbed to the top of FTSE 100, jumping 6.1% after the British Gas owner raised its full-year earnings forecast.

☆ Retailers Rethink In-Store Tech as Shoppers Return
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Retailers during the pandemic poured investments into e-commerce, as many questioned whether shoppers would ever return in full force to physical stores. E-commerce is now 16.4% of all retail shopping, down from 18.8% at the height of the pandemic, according to the National Retail Federation. Photo: The Kroger Company“There is an opportunity to remove the friction,” said Mr. Cosset. “It’s never enough.”In addition to cost barriers, Mr. Cosset of Kroger said it is also wise to hold back on some investments based on what the consumer actually wants. But privacy concerns coupled with the cost of large-scale camera installation make it impractical, Mr. Cosset said.

☆ Britain's Halfords targets retirees in recruitment drive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Halfords (HFD.L) is aiming to recruit 1,000 new technicians over the next 12 months by attracting retirees to work in its car repair centres, as Britain's tight labour market drives employers to think up new hiring strategies. "We need to be ambitious and creative in the way we go about meeting the demand for technicians," Halfords Chief Executive Graham Stapleton said in a statement. Compared to 2019, Britain had 600,000 more people this year who were not participating in the jobs market. By offering more flexible working, including part-time hours, and apprenticeships to older people, plus opening a training academy, Halfords hopes it will be able to recruit retirees. Operating from over 600 garages across Britain, Halfords is the largest provider of motoring services and it expects demand for vehicle servicing, maintenance and annual MOT tests on cars to increase because the country's car fleet is ageing.

☆ EasyJet calls on over-45s to fill cabin crew vacancies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Easyjet aircraft approaches Josep Tarradellas Barcelona - El Prat airport the day before a cabin crew strike, while it passes next to a Stop traffic sign, near Barcelona, Spain, June 30, 2022. The UK-based airline said it was encouraging adults aged 45 and over to train as cabin crew, building on the 27% rise it has already seen in that age group for crew since 2018. EasyJet said a crew recruitment programme some months ago had over 18,000 applications for about 2,000 roles, but it was still looking for more workers. The cabin crew role would be ideal for people whose children have left home, who have customer service skills and are looking for a new challenge, said the airline. "This campaign is about challenging stereotypes about the job and showing that being cabin crew can be a job for anyone with the right skills, no matter what their age," easyJet's director of cabin services Michael Brown said in an email.

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