Heineken has revealed plans to invest more than £44 million into improvements for hundreds of its UK pubs.

The Dutch brewing giant said the cash injection into its Star Pubs operation, which runs 2,350 sites across the UK, will create around 850 jobs.

The major investment plan comes despite a challenging backdrop for the pub sector.

Pubs have come under pressure from rising labour costs and increases to national insurance contributions over the past year, while consumer spending has also come under pressure with concerns over inflation and rising unemployment.

However, pubs received additional business rates support from the Government from last month to help ease their cost pressures.

Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director, said the company’s investment plan is partly aimed at boosting revenues to help the group cope with the recent “sustained increases in running costs”.

The plans will see the business invest £44.5 million this year into upgrades for 647 of its pubs.

It said 108 of its venues will see particularly significant cash injections, with these all set for transformations costing at least £145,000.

Heineken said the majority of pubs are owned by the group but independently operated by locals, with sports-focused venues an emphasis for investment in the run-up to the 2026 football World Cup.

The pub firm and brewer said it has pumped £328 million into British pubs since 2018.

It has already started work in 52 locations, including eight projects where it is reopening boarded-up pubs which have suffered from lengthy closures.

Mr Mountstevens urged the Government to reduce the tax burden on pubs to help ease the cost burden and support more job creation in the industry.

He said: “We can only do so much; the root-and-branch reform of business rates that the industry has been calling for over many years is urgently required, as well as a lowering of the burden of taxation on pubs, including VAT and beer duty.

“We are calling on the Government to support us in bringing out the best in the Great British pub.”

Gold price prediction today: Gold prices are seeing consolidation, according to Manav Modi, Senior Analyst, Commodity Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.Gold prices extended last week’s decline, hovering near one-month lows as a stronger US dollar and a sharp surge in crude oil continued to pressure sentiment. The rally in oil, which is driven by escalating US-Iran tensions and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, has heightened fears of an energy-led inflation shock, reinforcing expectations of a prolonged higher interest rate environment.Major central banks, including the Fed, ECB, BOE, and BOJ, signalled a cautious to hawkish stance, weighing bullion. While intermittent optimism around diplomatic talks between the US and Iran offered limited support, uncertainty remains elevated as negotiations stay fragile.Looking ahead, markets will closely track global PMI releases and US labor market data for further direction on inflation and policy outlook.Gold is showing signs of consolidation after a sharp corrective decline, with prices stabilizing near the lower half of the Bollinger Band structure. The recent rebound from the lower band around 138,000–140,000 indicates strong buying interest at lower levels, while inability to reclaim the middle band near 152,200 suggests the broader trend remains neutral to mildly bearish.Bollinger Bands are gradually narrowing, pointing toward a potential range-bound phase before a breakout. Immediate resistance is placed at 152,200–155,000 (mid to upper band zone), with a stronger ceiling near 170,000. On the downside, support is seen at 149,200, followed by a key base around 145,000 and major support near 139,000. A sustained move above the middle band could shift momentum higher, while rejection may keep prices confined within current range this week.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India.)

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) began the week on a strong footing, with the benchmark KSE-100 index surging sharply in early trade.

At 9:34am, the index climbed to 166,269.56, registering a gain of 3,275.56 points or 2.01%, as investor sentiment strengthened on expectations of a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

Optimism was further supported by hopes of stable global oil prices, encouraging broad-based buying.

Also Read: Oil slips after Trump says US will assist ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz

By 2:17pm, the market maintained its upward momentum, with the index hovering around 166,006.32, still up 3,012.15 points, reflecting sustained investor confidence throughout the session.

The day saw active trading, with the benchmark KSE-100 index recording a high of 167,245.54 and a low of 164,713.27 during the session.

The market opened strong and remained in positive territory, with total traded volume reaching 243,712,274 shares and an overall market value of 18,587,849,461.

The previous close stood at 162,994.17, reflecting a significant improvement in market activity and investor participation throughout the day until the filing of this report.