Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. Next has managed to raise its full year profit guidance by just a smidge, sticking to what it’s known for. That was after strong demand boosted first-quarter sales. So far, so good. There’s a shadow on the horizon, however, as the Iran war pushes up costs and inflation, dentin...
Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. Next has managed to raise its full year profit guidance by just a smidge, sticking to what it’s known for. That was after strong demand boosted first-quarter sales. So far, so good. There’s a shadow on the horizon, however, as the Iran war pushes up costs and inflation, denting consumer confidence. Next expects full year cost increases due to the Middle East to reach £47 million. It guided for £15 million in March, which only covered the first three months of the war. To mitigate that, the high street bellwether plans “moderate” price increases internationally (not in the UK, at least for now), as well as cost savings. Bloomberg Intelligence notes that Next’s lifted guidance shows it’s prepared to raise prices to protect profits. Shares dropped slightly, having already fallen more than 7% so far this year. 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 Africa and Latin America unexpectedly helped boost sales at Guinness and Johnnie Walker maker Diageo, offsetting persistent weakness in critical markets like America. Its full turnaround under CEO Drastic Dave will be laid out alongside full year results in August. Shares rose 5%. More from my colleague Kit below. Sticking with drinks, JD Wetherspoons issued its third profit warning this year, as chair Tim Martin noted “substantial increases in costs” across hospitality. The CEO of B&Q parent Kingfisher has resigned after seven years. After serving his 12-month notice period, Thierry Garnier will become boss at Amsterdam-listed retail-store operator Ahold Delhaize. Kingfisher shares have risen about 27% during his tenure. Plus, local elections in England are tomorrow. Dissatisfaction with Keir Starmer’s government means Labour...
Filing for Social Security early can seem like a practical move, especially if you're looking to retire or are being forced to leave your job for reasons outside your control, such as downsizing. But there's a major problem with claiming Social Security ahead of full retirement age , which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Filing for benefits early means reducing them in the process. If your...
Filing for Social Security early can seem like a practical move, especially if you're looking to retire or are being forced to leave your job for reasons outside your control, such as downsizing. But there's a major problem with claiming Social Security ahead of full retirement age , which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Filing for benefits early means reducing them in the process. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim Social Security at 62, which is the earliest possible age to sign up, you'll slash your monthly checks by about 30%. That could become a serious problem over time, especially if your retirement income needs rise or your limited savings run out. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’ with zero emission Chinese scientists have developed a way to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning methods, while producin...
We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’ with zero emission Chinese scientists have developed a way to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning methods, while producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, by placing coal inside a “battery”. 2. China unveils ultra-cheap...
Across much of India, an energy crunch caused by the Iran war has prompted long queues for cooking gas cylinders. That is not a problem for Gauri Devi. On a stove with blue flames, she flips a chapatti flatbread, burning biogas produced from cow dung – an alternative fuel helping ease pressure on supplies. “It cooks everything,” the 25-year-old said in her courtyard kitchen in Nekpur, a village in...
Across much of India, an energy crunch caused by the Iran war has prompted long queues for cooking gas cylinders. That is not a problem for Gauri Devi. On a stove with blue flames, she flips a chapatti flatbread, burning biogas produced from cow dung – an alternative fuel helping ease pressure on supplies. “It cooks everything,” the 25-year-old said in her courtyard kitchen in Nekpur, a village in Uttar Pradesh, about 90km (55 miles) from New Delhi. “If the pressure goes down, we let it rest for...
Banco de Chile press release ( BCH ): Q1 GAAP EPS of Ch$0.57. Revenue of Ch$748.89B (-3.9% Y/Y). More on Banco de Chile Banco de Chile: Leading Profitability And Capital Strength In Chile's Banking Sector Banco de Chile 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Banco de Chile (BCH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Banco de Chile Historical earnings data for Ban...
Banco de Chile press release ( BCH ): Q1 GAAP EPS of Ch$0.57. Revenue of Ch$748.89B (-3.9% Y/Y). More on Banco de Chile Banco de Chile: Leading Profitability And Capital Strength In Chile's Banking Sector Banco de Chile 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Banco de Chile (BCH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Banco de Chile Historical earnings data for Banco de Chile
A rescuer at the site of an explosion that killed 26 people and injured 61 in Hunan’s Liuyang city has described the dangerous and extremely difficult clean-up mission amid gunpowder and sparks after he and others were wounded by secondary blasts on Tuesday morning. An excavator operator surnamed Xiao, who volunteered to aid rescue work at the site of the initial fireworks plant blast, said he had...
A rescuer at the site of an explosion that killed 26 people and injured 61 in Hunan’s Liuyang city has described the dangerous and extremely difficult clean-up mission amid gunpowder and sparks after he and others were wounded by secondary blasts on Tuesday morning. An excavator operator surnamed Xiao, who volunteered to aid rescue work at the site of the initial fireworks plant blast, said he had received multiple wounds during a further explosion after scattered explosives were ignited by...