Business
Business news live: FTSE 100 rises and Warren Buffett’s new $1.6bn investment

Gaucho restaurants CEO issues stark warning to Reeves over tax hikes
A senior figure in the hospitality sector has sent a stark warning to Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn Budget: “Your taxes are curtailing growth”.
Baton Berisha, chief executive of Gaucho Restaurants, has called for National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to be restored to the level they were before April’s increase and said he had the backing of others in the industry wanting the same.
Pointing to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, Mr Berisha highlighted 84,000 jobs have been lost in the hospitality sector since the NICs hike took effect in April 2025 – equating to roughly 13,000 jobs disappearing per month since then.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 16:05
Labour can’t hit ‘working people’, so now they’re after people who used to work
Whatever weasel words they may use to justify any changes to inheritance tax, the message is clear: you’re better off not making money under Labour, because they will get you in the long run, writes Chris Blackhurst
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 15:05
Inflation set to edge higher – expert
UK inflation is set to have edged higher last month as summer spending pushed up flight and hotel costs, and food prices continue to climb.
One economist said an “Oasis bump” could have contributed to higher accommodation prices in July.
Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is widely expected to have increased in July, from the 3.6% rate recorded in June, when the Office for National Statistics publishes its latest dataset on Wednesday.
Sanjay Raja, senior economist for Deutsche Bank, said he was estimating that price pressures will have pushed CPI to 3.8% last month.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 14:40
Pandora prepares to raise prices further as it faces hit from US tariffs
Pandora has revealed a drop in UK sales as the jewellery brand hiked prices in response to soaring silver and gold costs, and as it prepares to take a financial hit from US tariffs.
The Danish company said it was considering raising its prices further to help mitigate the impact of increased costs.
Its total global revenues were 7.1 billion Danish kroner (£820 million) between April and June, 3% higher than the same period last year when compared like-for-like.
But in the UK, sales dropped 9% year-on-year, which Pandora said partly reflected a weak end-of-season sale.
It is preparing to step up marketing efforts to draw in more customers over the second half of the year.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 14:20
Union demand no job losses from breadmakers’ deal
The employment union Unite are quick to pounce on any company movements and today’s bread-making deal, with Kingsmill’s agreement to purchase Hovis, is no exception.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“While there is still a long way to go before any buyout happens, Kingsmill and Hovis must ensure that jobs are protected. Unite represents workers at both companies and we will not tolerate attacks on jobs, pay or conditions. Unite will be working to ensure that Kingsmill and Hovis fully involve the union in any decisions that impact our members.”
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 13:49
Elderly urged to use gardening instincts to prevent fraud
Over 65s are are being urged to apply the same habits they rely on when gardening, such as sharing local knowledge and advice, to helping to protect themselves against financial fraud.
Take Five to Stop Fraud has partnered with BBC Gardeners’ World’s Rachel de Thame and the National Allotment Society to launch a new awareness drive called “protect your patch”.
Research commissioned by Take Five among 1,000 people across the UK aged 65-plus found that 94 per cent have either a garden or allotment.
Three in 10 (29 per cent) older people would go to family and friends for gardening tips but only one in 10 (10 per cent) would ask them for tips on financial fraud, according to the survey carried out by Censuswide in July.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 13:20
Supermarket giant says it will pay customers to report shoplifters
Supermarket chain Iceland is set to offer customers a £1 reward for actively spotting and reporting shoplifters in their stores.
Richard Walker, the retailer’s executive chairman, confirmed that shoppers who alert staff to offenders will receive the payment directly to their membership card.
The move comes as the business faces an estimated £20 million annual hit from the cost of shoplifting.
He added the £20 million cost of theft limits the amount that the company can pay back out to its colleague and restrains its ability to lower prices.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 12:30
Student loans and how to manage uni finances
If you were celebrating A Level results yesterday – or more probably, if your loved ones were – then it’s soon time to take stock of what’s next.
For those heading to university here are a couple of key pieces to read up on:
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 12:00
FTSE 100 x Premier League crossover: Champions League contenders
And continuing the theme, here are the three Champions League contenders from Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG:
Alphawave can ride AI-tsunami to challenge for the title this season
Alphawave IP Group sits at the centre of the semiconductor intellectual property boom, providing crucial technology for high-speed data connectivity. The company benefits from megatrends driving global tech infrastructure, with AI, advanced chips, and 5G creating surging demand. A growing international client base, strong order pipeline, and profitable business model position Alphawave for potential “Champions League” status.
SSE has strong options off the bench to help it weather inflationary pressures
SSE occupies prime position in the UK’s green energy transition as a major wind, hydro, and grid operator. The utility combines defensive regulated earnings with long-term growth from decarbonisation investments. Strong policy backing for net zero and proven ability to weather inflationary pressure make SSE one of the most dependable performers for the season ahead.
Fan-favourite Greggs set to keep performing
Greggs continues to outmanoeuvre consumer sector peers through market share gains and operational innovation. The bakery chain has maintained its expansion drive with hundreds of new store openings, while delivery partnerships and menu diversification drive growth. Brand loyalty and adaptability help Greggs maintain momentum despite cost-of-living headwinds, marking it as a “top four” contender.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 11:40
FTSE 100 x Premier League crossover: Relegation candidates
With the football returning tonight in the Premier League’s opening game of 2025/26, investment platform IG have had themselves a bit of fun – picking out three firms primed for relegation (potentially dropping out of the FTSE 100 or struggling with share price losses) and three who are heading for the Champions League (big possible gains ahead).
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, makes his picks and predictions…
M&S faces struggle amid soaring wage bill and tough competition
Marks & Spencer faces an uphill battle despite modernisation efforts across food and digital channels. Rising wage costs and supply chain pressures continue to squeeze margins, while the general merchandise division remains sluggish. The high street environment stays fiercely competitive, with inventory issues and subdued consumer spending adding to the challenges. M&S needs to demonstrate stronger growth momentum to climb out of the relegation zone.
B&M’s run of poor performance forces manager out
B&M European Value Retail has endured a brutal year, with shares plunging over 50% after weak holiday trading and profit warnings culminated in the CEO’s departure. Discounter competition and margin pressure have intensified, while the push to revamp online operations adds complexity. Cost control and promotional strategies may help stabilise the business, but the market remains unconvinced about any quick turnaround given the tough consumer backdrop.
British Land can’t tempt fans back to the stadium
British Land continues to struggle as weak office demand and elevated borrowing costs squeeze the commercial property giant. London vacancy rates remain stubbornly high, with hybrid working patterns suggesting the office recovery could prove longer and more painful than anticipated. Refinancing risks and sluggish property valuations add further pressure, leaving BLND exposed if economic uncertainty drags on.
Karl Matchett15 August 2025 11:20
Business
Best Buy reports modest sales recovery, but says tariffs are complicating its turnaround

Logo of Best Buy displayed outside a Best Buy store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 22, 2025.
Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Best Buy surpassed Wall Street revenue and earnings expectations for its most recent quarter on Thursday, but stuck with its full-year forecast, citing tariff uncertainty.
On the company’s earnings call, CEO Corie Barry said the retailer is “increasingly confident about our plans for the back half of the year.” She said the company is “trending toward the higher end of our sales range.”
Yet she said, “given the uncertainty of potential tariff impacts in the back half, both on consumers overall as well as our business, we feel it is prudent to maintain the annual guidance we provided last quarter.”
The consumer electronics retailer said it expects revenue of $41.1 billion to $41.9 billion and adjusted earnings per share in a range of $6.15 to $6.30 for its full fiscal year 2026. In May, Best Buy had cut its full-year profit guidance from a prior range of $6.20 to $6.60.
The middle of Best Buy’s expected full-year revenue range would be roughly flat to its revenue of $41.53 billion in the previous year. Best Buy said it expects full-year comparable sales, a metric that tracks online sales and sales at stores open at least 14 months, to range between a 1% decline and a 1% increase.
Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas said the company’s full-year guidance reflects that some shoppers could hold off on purchases in the third quarter. He said the retailer could see a slowdown in the business in October “as people are waiting for those holiday deals to come.”
For Best Buy, back-to-school season is a crucial time as families and students come to the store for laptops, tablets and more. Barry said the company has seen “a strong customer response” to its sales events during the season.
“These results demonstrate an important aspect of our thesis: Our model really shines when there is innovation,” she said.
Shares of Best Buy were down about 4% in afternoon trading.
Here’s how the retailer did for the three-month period that ended August 2 compared with what Wall Street was expecting, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $1.28 adjusted vs. $1.21 expected
- Revenue: $9.44 billion vs. $9.24 billion expected
Best Buy’s net income for the fiscal second quarter of 2026 fell to $186 million, or 87 cents per share, from $291 million, or $1.34 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Adjusting for one-time items, including restructuring charges, Best Buy reported earnings per share of $1.28.
Revenue increased from $9.29 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Best Buy has been navigating a challenging trifecta of factors. Customers have bought fewer kitchen appliances as they put off home purchases and projects because of higher interest rates. Some have hesitated to splurge on pricier items because of tariff-related uncertainty or held out on tech replacements as they wait for new or eye-catching items. The company’s annual sales have declined for the past three years.
To spur growth, Best Buy launched a third-party marketplace earlier this month to offer shoppers a wider selection of consumer electronics, accessories and more. On the marketplace, sellers who apply for the platform can list their own brands and items on Best Buy’s website and app.
The company already increased prices on some items because of tariff-related higher costs, Barry said on a mid-May call with reporters. She did not specify which items now cost more and described price increases as “the very last resort.”
Still, tariffs did not have a material impact on fiscal second-quarter financial results, Barry said on the company’s earnings call Thursday.
Shopping patterns
Barry said that shopping patterns at Best Buy have not changed from previous quarters. She said customers are “resilient, but deal-focused” and have been attracted to the company’s sales events like the one it held in July.
“In the current environment, customers continue to be thoughtful about big ticket purchases and are willing to spend on high price point products when they need to, or when there is technology innovation,” she said.
Best Buy’s comparable sales rose 1.6% in the fiscal second quarter compared to the year-ago period. That marked the company’s highest growth in three years, Barry said on the company’s earnings call.
In the U.S., comparable sales increased 1.1%, as customers bought mobile phones, video gaming equipment and items from its computing category. However, those sales trends were partially offset by weaker sales of appliances, home theaters, tablets and drones, the company said.
Investors have looked for signs that the replacement cycle is picking up about five years after consumers stocked up on laptops, kitchen appliances, computer screens and more during the Covid pandemic.
There were some indications of that rebound in Best Buy’s second quarter. Barry said the retailer’s computing category marked its sixth consecutive quarter of sales growth. It also recorded the highest number of second-quarter laptop unit sales in 15 years, she said.
Gaming in particular had stronger-than-expected sales in the quarter, thanks to the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Barry said. The retailer capitalized on the highly anticipated launch by offering a way for customers to pre-order and opening stores at midnight when the gaming console dropped on June 5, so customers could line up and get it right away.
In the back half of the year, Barrie said Best Buy will try to rev up sales in slower categories like appliances and home theater by sharpening price points, adjusting the merchandise it sells and expanding the staffing devoted to them. The retailer has increasingly leaned on its vendor partners to staff stores, bringing in employees of Apple and Samsung for example, to support sales in different parts of its stores.
Barry said the retailer expects brands to ramp up those staffing contributions in the back half of the year.
Along with adding more dedicated brand experts to its stores, Best Buy has added new experiences to attract and engage customers. It’s testing mini-showrooms with Ikea that feature kitchen and laundry room appliances and merchandise from both retailers in 10 stores in Florida and Texas. It is also rolling out new experiences with Breville and SharkNinja to show off trendy coffeemakers, beauty items and more, Barry said. And it has areas in stores where shoppers can try out Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses with Meta AI technology.
For the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, Best Buy worked with Nintendo to double the space in stores ahead of the June launch. Nintendo also brought game trucks to select stores, physical trailers where customers could play with the new system and try out the latest videogames.
Best Buy’s fiscal second-quarter online sales in the U.S. rose 5.1% year over year and accounted for about a third of Best Buy’s total U.S. revenue in the quarter.
Business
Blue chips falter as FTSE outshone by European peers

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Thursday, despite gains elsewhere in Europe, held back by a number of stocks trading ex-dividend.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 38.68 points, 0.4%, at 9,216.82. The FTSE 250 ended 60.63 points lower, 0.3%, at 21,744.40 and the AIM All-Share finished down 1.16 points, 0.2%, at 761.21.
On the FTSE 100, insurer Aviva topped the fallers, 3.1% lower as it traded ex-dividend, while LondonMetric Property, down 2.0% and Auto Trader, down 1.6%, also lost ground as they traded without entitlement to their payouts.
Among the risers was sports retailer JD Sports Fashion, up a further 2.8%, building on Wednesday’s gains which followed a well received trading update.
Berenberg raised its share price target to 155 pence from 128p.
“We believe that the 8.5x PE valuation fails to reflect the company’s potential for moderate growth, margin recovery and strong free cash flow,” the broker said in a research note.
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, the S&P 500 was 0.1% lower, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.1%.
Nvidia was down 1.1% in New York at the time of the London close as concerns over China took some of the gloss off strong results and guidance.
The chip maker has not included any sales from China in its guidance as it grapples with the fallout from its trade war with the US.
Chief executive Jensen Huang said Nvidia is talking to the Trump administration about the “importance of American companies to be able to address the Chinese market”.
Data showed the US economy grew at a stronger pace than expected in the second quarter of the year.
According to the latest reading from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US economy rose 3.3% quarter-on-quarter on an annualised basis in the three months to June, upwardly revised from the first estimate which showed 3.0% growth.
The first quarter saw the US economy shrink 0.5%.
The annualised calculation shows how much the economy would expand if that quarterly pace of growth continued for a whole year, according to the BEA.
Friday sees the release of the monthly personal consumption expenditures inflationary gauge. An acceleration in the annual growth rate of core PCE prices to 2.9% is expected for July, from 2.8% in June, according to consensus cited by FactSet.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was at 4.22%, trimmed from 4.26% on Wednesday. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was 4.89%, narrowed from 4.91%.
The pound climbed to 1.3513 dollars late on Thursday afternoon in London, compared to 1.3469 at the equities close on Wednesday. The euro rose to 1.1668 dollars.
In Europe, the Cac 40 in Paris ended up 0.2%, while the Dax 40 in Frankfurt closed little changed.
Back in London, Drax fell 7.5% as it said the UK’s financial regulator had started a probe over the UK energy company’s sourcing for biomass pellets.
The Yorkshire-based power generator said it was notified on Tuesday that the Financial Conduct Authority has commenced an investigation into the company covering the period January 2022 to March 2024.
In a brief statement, Drax said the probe relates to certain historical statements regarding biomass sourcing and the compliance of Drax’s 2021, 2022 and 2023 annual reports with the listing rules and disclosure guidance and transparency rules.
Drax said it will co-operate with the FCA as part of their investigation.
In August 2024, Drax paid £25 million after industry regulator Ofgem found there was an absence of adequate data governance and controls in place that had contributed to the firm misreporting data in relation to the period April 2021 to March 2022.
Elsewhere, Hunting fell 2.9% as it reported increased revenue but lower profit in the first half of 2025 against a “volatile” market backdrop.
Looking ahead, Hunting said oil and gas demand has remained “steady and is likely to remain at a consistent level in the medium to long term”.
But in the near term, the geopolitical and macro-economic outlook remains “choppy”, it added.
PPHE Hotel shares sank 16% as the hotelier lowered full-year earnings guidance, alongside half year results.
The Amsterdam-based operator of Park Plaza and Art’otel hotels, among other brands, expects its full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to be “similar” to that of 2024.
A barrel of Brent traded at 67.51 dollars late Thursday afternoon, down slightly from 67.55 on Wednesday. Gold pushed higher to 3,407.04 dollars an ounce against 3,387.91 on Wednesday.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Anglo American, up 64.00 pence at 2,265.00p, JD Sports Fashion, up 2.74p at 100.10p, Weir, up 42.00p at 2,496.00p, Rio Tinto, up 67.00p at 4,637.00p and DCC, up 56.00p at 4,696.00p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Aviva, down 21.00p at 656.20p, Land Securities, down 12.50p at 559.00p, Endeavour Mining, down 52.00p at 2,492.00p, Relx, down 70.00p at 2,492.00p and LondonMetric Property, down 3.70p at 186.40p.
There are no major events scheduled in Friday’s local corporate calendar.
The global economic calendar on Friday has US personal consumption expenditures data, Canadian GDP numbers, German retail sales figures and CPI prints in France and Germany.
– Contributed by Alliance News
Business
Dick’s Sporting Goods raises guidance after second-quarter earnings beat

A Dick’s Sporting Goods store is shown in Oceanside, California, U.S., May 15, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Dick’s Sporting Goods raised its full-year sales and earnings guidance after delivering fiscal second-quarter results that beat expectations.
The company is now expecting comparable sales to grow between 2% and 3.5%, up from a previous range of 1% and 3% and ahead of analyst estimates of 2.9%, according to StreetAccount.
Dick’s said its earnings per share are now expected to be between $13.90 and $14.50, up from a previous range of $13.80 to $14.40. Analysts were expecting $14.39 per share, according to LSEG.
Here’s how the company performed compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $4.38 adjusted vs. $4.32 expected
- Revenue: $3.65 billion vs. $3.63 billion expected
The company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended Aug. 2 was $381 million, or $4.71 per share, compared with $362 million, or $4.37 per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items related to its acquisition of Foot Locker and other costs, Dick’s posted earnings per share of $4.38.
Sales rose to $3.65 billion, up about 5% from $3.47 billion a year earlier. During the quarter, comparable sales also grew 5%, well ahead of expectations of 3.2%, according to StreetAccount.
“Our performance shows how well our long-term strategies are working, the strength and resilience of our operating model and the impact of our team’s consistent execution,” CEO Lauren Hobart said in a news release. “Our Q2 comps increased 5.0%, with growth in average ticket and transactions, and we drove second quarter gross margin expansion.”
While Dick’s comparable sales guidance came in ahead of expectations, its full-year revenue outlook was slightly below estimates. The company said it’s expecting revenue to be between $13.75 billion and $13.95 billion, below estimates of $14 billion, according to LSEG.
Dick’s said its raised profit guidance includes the impact of tariffs that are currently in effect. In an interview with CNBC’s Courtney Reagan, Dick’s executive chairman Ed Stack said the company has implemented some price increases to offset the impact of higher duties but has been “surgical” in its approach.
“We’ve been able to do what we need to from a pricing standpoint, whether that’s from the national brands or from our own brands, and then other places where we’ve held price, we’ve been able to do that, and we’ve offset it someplace else, which is what you have to do in these in these situations, and the team’s done a great job doing that,” Stack said.
Hobart said during Thursday’s call with analysts that the retailer hasn’t seen its shoppers balking at the “small-level” price increases that have gone into effect.
Hobart said broadly Dick’s hasn’t seen any signs of a consumer spending slowdown as a result of tariffs. She said Dick’s saw growth across all of its key segments during the quarter.
Foot Locker tie-up
The company said its guidance doesn’t include any potential impact from its acquisition of Foot Locker, such as costs or results from the planned takeover, which is expected to close on Sept. 8.
In May, Dick’s announced it would be acquiring its longtime rival for $2.4 billion, giving it a competitive edge in the wholesale sneaker market, most importantly for Nike products, along with a bigger global presence.
Nike is a critical brand partner for both Dick’s and Foot Locker and, at times, their performance is reliant on how well the sneaker brand is doing. During the quarter, Stack said new drops from Nike’s revamped running portfolio, including the Pegasus Premium and the Vomero Plus, are performing so well, it can’t keep the shoes in stock.
“Anything that’s new, innovative and kind of the cool factor, is blowing out,” Stack said.
However, the acquisition also comes with risks. Foot Locker’s business has been in the midst of an ambitious turnaround under CEO Mary Dillon but the company is still struggling.
In the quarter ended Aug. 2, Foot Locker’s sales fell 2.4% and it posted a loss of $38 million. The company faces a range of existential challenges, including its heavy mall footprint, its small online business and a core consumer that often has less discretionary income than the core Dick’s consumer.
Once the businesses are combined, Foot Locker’s struggles could ultimately weigh on Dick’s overall results. On the other hand, the combined company will become the No. 1 seller of athletic footwear in the U.S., which will allow it to better compete against its next biggest rival, JD Sports.
Stack acknowledged to CNBC that Foot Locker’s earnings “were not great” but said the company has a strategy.
“We have a game plan of how to turn this around,” Stack told Reagan. “We think that we can return Foot Locker to its rightful place in the top of this industry and we’re excited to roll up our sleeves and get started with that.”
Dick’s plans to operate Foot Locker as a separate entity. Moving forward, Stack said the company plans to break out details on how each brand is performing when releasing quarterly results. It’ll provide separate details on how Dick’s performed and how Foot Locker performed so investors can get a sense of what’s going on in each part of the business.
Hobart said during Thursday’s earnings call that as part of the acquisition, Dick’s plans to invest in Foot Locker stores and marketing. She also said Dick’s sees opportunities in merchandising and bringing in a new assortment of products.
“As Foot Locker becomes part of the Dick’s family, we are an even more important brand to our wholesale partners, and that’s part of the thesis,” Hobart said.
Earlier this week, Dick’s said it had received all regulatory approvals associated with the transaction. It’s unclear if it had to divest any stores to satisfy the FTC’s requirements.
— CNBC’s Ali McCadden contributed to this report.
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