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REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Saudi Arabia's PIF buys into Rocco Forte hotel groupPlans to help expand luxury hotel groupItalian investor CDPE checks out of chainDec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's PIF sovereign wealth fund will buy a 49% stake in luxury hotel group Rocco Forte Hotels and help to support its expansion, the owner of Britain's Balmoral hotel said on Monday. A spokesperson for Rocco Forte Hotels declined to confirm the size of PIF's stake. Rocco Forte Hotels, founded in 1996, operates across Italy, Britain, Germany, Belgium and Russia and has 20 private villas in addition to its hotels. CDPE, which owned a 23% stake in Rocco Forte Hotels, is owned by Italy's state-backed fund CDP. Rocco Forte, which was advised by Rothschild, reported revenues of around 300 million pounds last fiscal year, with a core profit of around 60 million pounds, according to a source.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Companies Saudi Arabia's PIF, Rocco Forte, CDPE, Olga Polizzi, Forte, Rocco Forte Hotels, Al Nowaiser, PIF, Rothschild, Yadarisa, Elisa Anzolin, Keith Weir, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Saudi Arabia's, Saudi Arabia's, Rocco Forte Hotels, Financial Times, Granada, Thomson Locations: Balmoral, Scotland, Edinburgh, Britain, Saudi, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Milan, Sardinia, Italy's, SAUDI ARABIA, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru, London

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - Metro Bank (MTRO.L) on Thursday announced sweeping cost-cutting plans aimed at bolstering its finances, which could see the embattled British lender lay off 20% of its staff and axe some of its biggest customer perks including seven-day opening hours. The lender expects to take a lower-than-expected one-off restructuring charge of between 10 million pounds and 15 million pounds in 2023. Metro Bank did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the precise number of roles at risk, but the lender employs around 4,000 people, according to its latest annual report. It is also reviewing its seven-day opening and extended store hours and will "selectively streamline lending" to focus on relationship banking to maximise risk-adjusted returns.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Jaime Gilinski, Daniel Frumkin, outflows, Yadarisa, Sinead Cruise, Elizabeth Howcroft, Rashmi Aich, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Metro, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Colombian, Bengaluru

☆ UK investment advisers face capital hike to cover compensation costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Investment advisers in Britain should hold extra capital to cover compensation costs, regulators proposed on Wednesday, in a bid to put a lid on the rising bill for bad advice. It is important that the polluter pays," Sarah Pritchard, the FCA's executive director of markets and international, said in a statement. Advisers already have to set aside a minimum of 20,000 pounds in capital to operate. PIMFA, a trade body for financial advisers, said it welcomed a "polluter pays" model, but urged a proportionate approach to avoid barring new entrants.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sarah Pritchard, Yadarisa, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Christina Fincher Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Investment, steelworkers, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Caterer Compass forecasts strong growth in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Catering group Compass Group (CPG.L) expects 2024 underlying operating profit to grow about 13%, aided by strong demand leading to high single-digit organic revenue growth and stronger margins, it said on Monday. Compass, the world's largest catering group, said adjusted operating profit rose nearly 30% to 2.12 billion pounds ($2.64 billion) for the year ended Sept. 30, in line with market expectations. "Going forward, we expect to sustain mid to high single digit organic revenue growth and ongoing margin progression leading to profit growth ahead of revenue growth and increased cash generation," CEO Dominic Blakemore said in a statement. Annual underlying revenue grew 18.8% to 31.3 billion pounds, registering growth across its markets. In financial year 2023, it signed 2.7 billion pounds of new business, with first-time outsourcing accounting for about 50%.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Dominic Blakemore, Compass, Hofmann, Yadarisa, Rashmi Organizations: REUTERS, Compass, Manufaktur GmbH, Thomson Locations: Argentina, Angola, Bengaluru

☆ GKN Aerospace-owner Melrose lifts 2023 profit expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - British aerospace supplier Melrose (MRON.L) said on Thursday it expected 2023 profit to be 7% higher than its previous expectations, partly driven by stronger aftermarket demand and improved pricing. The owner of GKN Aerospace, which counts Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) as its top customers, said trading and margin performance during the four month ended Oct. 31 was better than its previous expectations. Melrose, which spun off its auto and other businesses in April to become a pure-play aerospace supplier, now expects an adjusted core profit of 680 million pounds to 700 million pounds ($842.5-$867.2 million) for the year ending Dec. 31. In September, Melrose flagged a potential cash hit of about 200 million pounds through 2026 after Pratt & Whitney parent RTX (RTX.N) warned of grounding of some engine variants for quality checks. GKN Aerospace has a 4% programme share on the GTF PW1100G variant impacted by this issue.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Pratt & Whitney, Yadarisa Shabong, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, Melrose, GKN Aerospace, Boeing, Pratt &, Thomson Locations: GKN, Redditch, Britain, British, Bengaluru

☆ Man Utd CEO Arnold to leave club ahead of possible sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Soccer Football - Funeral of former England and Manchester United footballer Bobby Charlton - Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, Britain - November 13, 2023 Manchester United CEO & director Richard Arnold arrives at Manchester Cathedral REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Manchester United PLC FollowNov 15 (Reuters) - Manchester United (MANU.N) CEO Richard Arnold will step down, the Premier League club said on Wednesday, ahead of the club's reported stake sale to British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. General counsel and board director Patrick Stewart, who has been with the club for over 17 years, will be become interim CEO. Patrick Stewart's appointment as interim CEO would allow United's new joint owners to identify the right long-term candidate to run the club, Sky News reported, citing one source. Manchester United did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment on the rationale. Arnold will provide "transitional support" until the end of December, the club said, and they will start looking for a permanent CEO, United said in a statement.

Persons: Bobby Charlton, Richard Arnold, Phil Noble, Jim Ratcliffe, Patrick Stewart, Glazer, Arnold, Ed Woodward, Erik ten Hag, Ratcliffe, Patrick Stewart's, United, Yadarisa, Shinjini Ganguli, Bhattacharjee Organizations: Soccer, Manchester United, Manchester Cathedral, Manchester Cathedral REUTERS, Rights Companies Manchester United, Premier League, Reuters, Sky News, Thomson Locations: England, Manchester, Britain, United, Bengaluru

☆ Wizz Air narrows profit forecast on difficult operating conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wizz Air's aircraft is parked on the tarmac at Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, August 18, 2022. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - European budget carrier Wizz Air (WIZZ.L) on Thursday narrowed its annual profit forecast below analyst expectations, citing continuing macroeconomic uncertainty and difficult operating conditions. Wizz Air was also one of the main airlines hit by issues with RTX (RTX.N) engines this year and had said it would face a capacity reduction as a result. That knocked its net income guidance for the financial year to between 350 million euros and 400 million euros ($374.7 million to $428.2 million), down from 350 million to 450 million euros. The budget carrier posted operating profit of 522.9 million euros ($559.8 million) for the six months to Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 63.8 million euros a year earlier.

Persons: Wizz, Bernadett Szabo, Jozsef Varadi, Varadi, RTX, Joanna Plucinska, Yadarisa, Savio D'Souza, David Goodman Organizations: Ferenc Liszt International, REUTERS, Wizz, Aerospace, Thomson Locations: Budapest, Hungary, London, Bengaluru

☆ BT maintains 2024 outlook after Q2 core profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - BT Group (BT.L), Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, posted second quarter earnings slightly ahead of forecasts putting it on track to meet 2024 guidance, in one of the outgoing CEO's final announcements. Strong cost controls helped BT post a 3% rise in adjusted core profit (EBITDA) to 2.06 billion pounds ($2.51 billion) for the three months to the end of September, beating the 2.03 billion pounds consensus forecast. "These results show that BT Group is delivering and on target: we're rapidly building and connecting customers to our next generation networks, we're simplifying our products and services," Jansen said in a statement on Thursday. The quarterly result meant BT maintained its outlook to grow revenue and profits for its current 2024 financial year, and the group said it expected free cash flow towards the top end of its 1 billion to 1.2 billion pound range. ($1 = 0.8215 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Sarah Young in London; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Allison Kirkby, Sweden's, Philip Jansen, Jansen, Yadarisa, Sarah Young, Savio D'Souza, James Davey Organizations: BT, Britain's, Sweden's Telia, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ Aston Martin lowers volume outlook on DB12 model production issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 1 (Reuters) - British luxury carmaker Aston Martin (AML.L) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday and lowered its 2023 volume outlook due to production issues for its new sports car DB12. Aston Martin started delivery of its next-generation sports car DB12 last quarter, and expects its 2023 volume to come in at 6,700 units, from an earlier forecast of about 7,000 units. "Given the initial delays experienced with the DB12 ramp up during Q3, we have marginally updated our FY volume outlook as the impact limits production capacity for the full year," the company said in a statement. The London-listed company, which retained the rest of its 2023 outlook, reported an adjusted operating loss of 48.4 million pounds ($58.82 million) on revenue of 362.1 million pounds in the three-month period ended Sept. 30. Analysts on average had expected an adjusted operating loss of 38 million pounds on net revenue of 370 million pounds.

Persons: Aston Martin, Thomas Peter, AML.L, Yadarisa, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, London, Bengaluru

☆ Vodafone to sell Spanish arm to Zegona for $5.30 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L) will sell its struggling Spanish business to Zegona Communications (ZEG.L) for 5 billion euros ($5.30 billion), it said on Tuesday, in the British firm's second major transaction this year. Vodafone said it would receive at least 4.1 billion euros in cash. It will also provide 900 million euros in financing in the form of preference shares redeemable no later than six years after closing. Vodafone ranks third in Spanish telecoms after Telefonica and Orange. Zegona's Chairman and CEO Eamonn O'Hare said he was "very excited" about the opportunity to return to the Spanish telecomsmarket.

Persons: Margherita Della Valle, Britain's, Della Valle, Eamonn O'Hare, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Subhranshu Sahu, Kate Holton Organizations: Vodafone, Zegona Communications, Vodafone's, Telefonica, British, Zegona's, Thomson Locations: British, Spain, Orange, Spanish, Telecable, Bengaluru, London

☆ UK's IG Group says it expects to cut 10% of workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - British online trading platform IG Group (IGG.L) on Tuesday said it would cut 10% of its headcount as part of cost-saving measures to drive operating margin expansion and become a leaner fintech firm. IG Group is trying to bolster its margins as the number of active clients on its platforms declines because of tough market conditions and a hit to customers' disposable income due to a cost-of-living squeeze and rising borrowing costs. IG Group said it expected to reduce about 300 positions worldwide by the end of fiscal 2023, adding that the overall efficiency measures are expected to deliver full run rate cost savings of 50 million pounds ($60.7 million) per year. "We want to position IG Group as a lean fintech company and today's decisive actions ensure a strong platform for future growth," acting CEO Charlie Rozes said in a statement. The company said non-recurring costs to achieve the savings are expected to be about 18 million pounds split across fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

Persons: Charlie Rozes, IG, Morgan McKinley, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Sinead Cruise, Varun H, Robert Birsel Organizations: IG Group, Employment Monitor, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ Man Utd predicts higher annual revenue as sale process drags on
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The English Premier League club, whose future ownership remains uncertain as the Glazer family explore a potential sale, did not give any update on that process, which started nearly a year ago. Manchester United expect revenue of between 650 million and 680 million pounds for the fiscal year to June 2024, compared with 648.4 million in 2022/23. The club forecast adjusted core profit of between 140 million and 165 million pounds, compared with 155 million in 2022/23. For the quarter ended June 30, Manchester United reported a net loss of nearly 3 million pounds ($3.50 million), compared with a loss of 71 million pounds a year earlier. Annual net losses narrowed by 75% to 29 million pounds.

Persons: Molly Darlington, Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al, Erik ten Hag, Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Yadarisa, Shounak Dasgupta, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Soccer Football, Premier League, Manchester United, Leicester City, Champions League, English Premier League club, New York Stock Exchange, Inter Milan, European, League, Danish, Copenhagen, Manchester City, . Manchester United, Thomson Locations: Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain, Trafford, Qatar's, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, Atalanta, Chelsea, Bengaluru

☆ IHG says funding challenges holding back new hotel development
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of an Intercontinental Hotel at The O2 in London, Britain October 20, 2020. Its shares were down 3.6% by 1044 GMT, with Bernstein analyst Richard Clarke attributing the drop to the slowdown in net unit growth and fears it might miss its full-year guidance. "We definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said, adding that IHG was growing in new signings and system size. The group recorded growth across its leisure, business travel and group travel segments, Maalouf said in a statement. The hotel industry has benefited from a post-pandemic boom in leisure travel as people splurge their savings on vacations despite rising costs of living.

Persons: Matthew Childs, IHG, Bernstein, Richard Clarke, Leo Carrington, Elie Maalouf, Maalouf, Glover, Yadarisa, Subhranshu Sahu, Tomasz Janowski, Jan Harvey Organizations: O2, REUTERS, Citi, U.S, Crowne Plaza, Regent, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, Israel, Bengaluru

☆ IHG upbeat about 2023 results despite challenges holding back new hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The owner of the Crowne Plaza, Regent and Hualuxe hotel chains flagged economic uncertainties ahead and said that short- term financing challenges were holding back development of new hotels. The group recorded growth across its leisure, business travel and group travel segments, CEO Elie Maalouf said in a statement. While business travel revenue was already ahead of 2019 levels in the third quarter, group and meetings revenue was still below, finance chief Michael Glover told reporters. The hotel industry has benefited from a boom in leisure travel demand after the pandemic, as people splurge their savings on vacations despite rising costs of living. Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Matthew Childs, Bernstein, Richard Clarke, Elie Maalouf, IHG, Michael Glover, Glover, Yadarisa, Subhranshu Sahu, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: O2, REUTERS, Crowne Plaza, Regent, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, Israel, Tel Aviv, Bengaluru

"Anecdotally from technicians we are seeing a significant increase in interest (in the UK)," a spokesperson for Rentokil said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Rentokil Pest Control in the UK tracked a 65% increase year-on-year in recorded bedbug activity in the second quarter of 2023, versus last year. "This is when a pest technician had confirmed the activity," the spokesperson said. An activity is when a technician has been on a customer site and confirmed the presence of bedbugs. Reporting by Anchal Rana and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq, London Sadiq Khan, PoliticsJOE, Rentokil, Anchal Rana, Yadarisa, David Evans Organizations: Hygiene, REUTERS, Paris Olympics, bedbugs, Transport, Reuters, Thomson Locations: bedbugs, L'Hay, Paris, France, French, London, Rentokil Pest, Bengaluru

[1/4] People walk into Jerusalem's Old City via Jaffa Gate, as the conflict wreaks havoc across the tourism sector October 11, 2023. Now they are empty after a devastating attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7. InterContinental Hotels (IHG.L) said two of its hotels, Six Senses Shaharut and Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv – Diamond District, were temporarily shut. Australian tour operator Intrepid Travel has called off tours to Israel and Palestinian territories until the end of the year. Odysseys Unlimited has suspended its Israel trips until March 31.

Persons: Sinan Abu Mayzer, Abu Dawoud, Khader Hussein, Jesus, That's, Elias al, Dan Hotels, Isrotel, Dan, Israel, Joanna Plucinska, Steven Scheer, Doyinsola, Yadarisa, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, West Bank, Virgin, European, InterContinental Hotels, Indigo, Aviv, Diamond, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Arab Hotel Association, Intrepid, Odysseys, NEW, Thomson Locations: City, Jaffa, Rights BETHLEHEM, JERUSALEM, Bethlehem's, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, United States, European Union, Britain, Europe, Bethlehem, Tel, U.S, West, Australian, Egypt, Jordan, LONDON, Bengaluru

The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Activision Blizzard said: "The CMA's official approval is great news for our future with Microsoft, and we look forward to becoming part of the Xbox Team." The European Commission said the new commitments given by Microsoft to the CMA did not interfere with its EU commitments.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa Shabong, Aditya Soni, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Activision, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, REUTERS, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The deal was blocked in April by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which said it could give the U.S. computing giant a stranglehold over the nascent cloud gaming market. The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission opposed the deal but after failing to stop it, the CMA was left standing alone.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, CMA, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, Sony, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

☆ Microsoft-Activision: Ubisoft deal helps win Britain's nod
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Friday cleared Microsoft's (MSFT.O) acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) after the restructured deal substantially addressed its earlier concerns. In August, Activision agreed to sell its non-European streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment (UBIP.PA) to get the biggest deal yet in video-gaming past Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). "We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide," Microsoft President Brad Smith said. The company had in July extended the deadline to close the deal by Oct. 18. Here is a snapshot of key events in the Microsoft-Activision saga:Reporting by Tiyashi Datta, Jaspreet Singh and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Shinjini Ganguli and Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brad Smith, Tiyashi Datta, Jaspreet Singh, Yadarisa, Anil D'Silva, Shinjini Organizations: Activision, Ubisoft Entertainment, Markets Authority, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ UK transport group Mobico's shares hit record low on profit warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummaryCompanies Cuts annual profit forecastSuspends dividendsShares fall to record lowOct 12 (Reuters) - Mobico's (MCG.L) shares fell by a third to a record low on Thursday after the British transport company cut its annual profit forecast and suspended dividends, as high costs hit the group's efforts to improve profitability. The company, which changed its name from National Express to Mobico earlier this year, said it was planning to sell its North America school bus business in early 2024 to cut debt. The company was hit hard during the pandemic as lockdowns restricted travel and governments had to support transport operators. Mobico's school bus business in North America has faced high costs and labour shortages. "The profit warning just goes to show it takes more than a name change to prompt a recovery in a company's fortunes," Mould added.

Persons: Russ Mould, AJ Bell, Mobico, Mould, Radhika Anilkumar, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Miral Fahmy, Sharon Singleton, Jane Merriman Organizations: National Express, North America, U.S, Stagecoach, Thomson Locations: British, North America, Britain, Europe, North Africa, Bengaluru

☆ Metro Bank gets support from over 75% of bondholders for debt refinancing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 11 (Reuters) - British lender Metro Bank (MTRO.L) on Wednesday confirmed the support of the required number of bondholders to approve its debt refinancing plans. The bank said it received more than 75% support commitments from Tier 2 and MREL noteholders for its plans to raise 325 million pounds ($399.30 million) in capital and 600 million pounds in debt refinancing. ($1 = 0.8139 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yadarisa, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Metro Bank, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. The CMA welcomed the move, saying effective competition in the 7.5 billion pound ($9.1 billion) UK market was essential. Google Vice President Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dan Ridsdale, Edison, Dado Ruvic, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Foo Yun Chee, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey, Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Ofcom, Amazon Web Services, Google, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Markets, REUTERS, Cloud Infrastructure Services, Amazon, MICROSOFT, Activision Blizzard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, France, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea, China, EU, Europe, Bengaluru, London, Brussels

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. UK businesses told Ofcom they were concerned it was too difficult to switch or mix and match cloud providers. Google vice president Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ofcom, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Lincoln, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, CMA, Ofcom, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, Markets, AWS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ Ryanair to cut flights this winter due to Boeing delivery delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Ryanair (RYA.I) announced on Thursday cuts to its winter schedule due to delays in the delivery of Boeing (BA.N) aircraft, but Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers said its full-year traffic forecast was unaffected "as yet". Ryanair said in a statement that it had expected to receive delivery of 27 aircraft between September and December. But due to production delays at the Spirit Fuselage facility in Wichita, Kansas, combined with Boeing repair and delivery delays in Seattle, it now expects to receive only 14 aircraft during the three-month period. "At this early date, we do not expect these delivery delays will materially affect our full-year traffic target of 183.5 million,” Group Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said. Ryanair had expected delivery of 57 Boeing aircraft between September 2023 and May 2024.

Persons: Michael O'Leary, Yadarisa, Conor Humphries, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sharon Singleton, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ryanair, Boeing, ”, East, Porto, Thomson Locations: Wichita , Kansas, Seattle, Charleroi, Belgium, Dublin, Bergamo, Naples, Pisa, East Midlands, Portugal, Cologne, Germany, Bengaluru

☆ Britain says may clear restructured Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 - Microsoft's (MSFT.O) restructured acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) "opens the door" to the deal being cleared, Britain's antitrust regulator said on Friday. The Ubisoft divestment "substantially addresses previous concerns," the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said in a statement. "While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues," the regulator said. The CMA said there were "residual concerns" that certain provisions in the Ubisoft deal could be circumvented, terminated or not enforced.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Varun, Jason Neely Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Markets Authority, CMA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru, London

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