Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. Britain’s plans to boost defence spending have already been slowed by a lack of cash. Now, with the government’s 10-year plan days away from publication, ministers are still wrangling over the details. The latest battleground is timing. The Treasury is locked in late-stage tal...
Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. Britain’s plans to boost defence spending have already been slowed by a lack of cash. Now, with the government’s 10-year plan days away from publication, ministers are still wrangling over the details. The latest battleground is timing. The Treasury is locked in late-stage talks about whether to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 or stick with the current 2034 target. Military chiefs and defence secretary John Healey are pushing for the earlier deadline, while the Treasury continues to resist accelerating the increase. The delays have already created uncertainty around major defence contracts. They have also drawn criticism from a former NATO secretary general and, as my colleagues report, damaged trust between government and industry — further undermining confidence to invest in Britain. What’s your take? Ping me on X , LinkedIn or drop me an email at lmoon13@bloomberg.net. Oh, and do subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to trusted business journalism on the UK, and beyond. What We’re Watching The woes continue for WH Smith. The now travel-focused retailer warned on profits for the year amid uncertainty from the Middle East war and a weaker US unit, and launched a capital raise to compensate. That follows a rough period, as my colleague Sam details below. Shares slumped, having already lost more than 50% during the past year. For all the fears of taxes squeezing pubs , Fuller Smith & Turner seems to be doing alright, with full year numbers higher, as expected. Advance bookings for the World Cup are “strong” - a boon for the industry - and it noted more demand for staycations. Workspace , the London landlord of flexible offices, reported a loss that was driven by falling rents and rising vacancies that hit valuations in its portfolio. The firm, which is being targeted by activist investor Saba Capital, said it’s in the mi...
Zachary White, Product Manager, ASKB, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Bloomberg, shares insights from Bloomberg's technology leadership team at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Zachary White, Product Manager, ASKB, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Bloomberg, shares insights from Bloomberg's technology leadership team at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Chris Gradel, CEO & Co-Founder, PAG discusses private capital, liquidity and Asia investment opportunities with Bloomberg’s David Ingles at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Chris Gradel, CEO & Co-Founder, PAG discusses private capital, liquidity and Asia investment opportunities with Bloomberg’s David Ingles at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Serving as the Federal Reserve Chair isn't easy. Kevin Warsh is already finding that out. And he hasn't even chaired his first Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting yet. Actually, Warsh's job just got much harder. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May employment numbers last week. Nonfarm payrolls rose to a seasonally adjusted 172,000, more than doubling the Dow Jones (the c...
Serving as the Federal Reserve Chair isn't easy. Kevin Warsh is already finding that out. And he hasn't even chaired his first Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting yet. Actually, Warsh's job just got much harder. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May employment numbers last week. Nonfarm payrolls rose to a seasonally adjusted 172,000, more than doubling the Dow Jones (the company, not the stock index ) consensus estimate of 80,000. This blowout jobs report makes it very difficult for Warsh to cut interest rates. Instead, it boosts the chances that a rate increase will be needed. An eventual showdown between the new Fed chair and President Trump now appears to be in motion. Continue reading
pichet_w/iStock via Getty Images XCF Global ( SAFX ) announced that the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff has granted its request for an additional 180-day grace period to satisfy the exchange's minimum bid price requirement. The extension allows the company to maintain its listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market while working to restore its compliance status. Following an evaluation of XCF’s corpo...
pichet_w/iStock via Getty Images XCF Global ( SAFX ) announced that the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff has granted its request for an additional 180-day grace period to satisfy the exchange's minimum bid price requirement. The extension allows the company to maintain its listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market while working to restore its compliance status. Following an evaluation of XCF’s corporate compliance strategies, the Nasdaq staff extended the deadline to December 7, 2026 . Nasdaq's determination of eligibility for the additional grace period was based on XCF meeting all other applicable initial listing requirements for The Nasdaq Capital Market, including the minimum market value threshold for publicly held shares, with the sole exception of the $1.00 minimum bid price rule. More on XCF Global, Inc. FuelCell Energy among names set to join Russell 3000 Index, New Fortress Energy set to leave ChargePoint among names set to join Russell Microcap index, Centrus Energy set to leave Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on XCF Global, Inc. Historical earnings data for XCF Global, Inc. Financial information for XCF Global, Inc.
Susan Chan, Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock says the traditional 40/60 portfolio is not going to generate the outcomes needed for the future, she was speaking to Bloomberg’s Rebecca Sin at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Susan Chan, Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock says the traditional 40/60 portfolio is not going to generate the outcomes needed for the future, she was speaking to Bloomberg’s Rebecca Sin at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Jeff Li, Chief Investment Officer, Global Equity, E Fund HK, discusses investing opportunities and market trends shaping the next phase of China’s economy at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Jeff Li, Chief Investment Officer, Global Equity, E Fund HK, discusses investing opportunities and market trends shaping the next phase of China’s economy at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in Hong Kong. (Source: Bloomberg)
WH Smith Plc lowered its profit outlook and set out a plan to raise capital as the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East weighs on sales at the retailer’s network of airport stores. The company now expects profit before tax and other items of £75 million ($100 million) to £90 million for this fiscal year, WH Smith said Wednesday, compared to its previous target of as much as £105 million. S...
WH Smith Plc lowered its profit outlook and set out a plan to raise capital as the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East weighs on sales at the retailer’s network of airport stores. The company now expects profit before tax and other items of £75 million ($100 million) to £90 million for this fiscal year, WH Smith said Wednesday, compared to its previous target of as much as £105 million. Shares of WH Smith slumped as much as 17% in early trading in London, extending a plunge of more than 50% in the past year. The downgrade reflects a drop in passenger numbers and weakening demand across all divisions, the company said. WH Smith has been warning of the impact of the Iran war for months, and suspended its dividend in April to help reduce debt during the downturn. It also proposed a capital raise of as many as 26 million shares, representing about 20% of its existing share capital, to bolster its balance sheet. It’s the latest setback for WH Smith after it was roiled by an accounting error at its US business last year that led to exit of its chief executive officer. The UK’s Financial Reporting Council said this week it started an investigation of the statutory audit by PwC for 2024. Read More: WH Smith CEO Cowling Resigns After Probe of Accounting Error WH Smith expects to book an impairment charge of up to £150 million as it reviews its portfolio of InMotion electronics stores in North America, and looks to exit stores or transition them to a franchise model in its Rest of World division. It is also considering options for its Welcome to Las Vegas gift shops.