Business
Frasers lowers goal for new bonus plan after boss misses £100m payout target
Frasers boss Michael Murray will miss targets to secure a £100 million bonus this year, but the firm has revealed plans for a new scheme with a lowered share price goal that could still see him net the mammoth payout by 2030.
Mr Murray, who succeeded his father-in-law Mike Ashley at the helm in 2022, has waived his salary for three years in a row in order to focus on meeting targets for the potential £100 million award.
The bonus is conditional on the group achieving a pre-tax profit of at least £500 million and a £15 share price for 30 consecutive dealing days.
The two conditions have to be met before October for Mr Murray to receive the mammoth payout under the current scheme.
While the group has met the earnings goal, delivering underlying pre-tax profits of £560.2 million for the year to April 27, it cannot meet the shares target by October, with Frasers stock at around £6.80 at the time of writing.
But ahead of its annual general meeting next month, the Sports Direct owner revealed proposals for a new five-year bonus scheme with a lowered share price target – from £15 to £12 – which could still see its chief executive secure a £100 million payout.
Under the new plans, Mr Murray must meet the shares target by September 30 2030.
It is also conditional on the group achieving an underlying pre-tax profit of at least £500 million, with all other aspects of the scheme remaining the same.
Mr Murray will also forgo the salary for the current 2025-26 financial year, according to Frasers’s latest annual report.
On the decision to amend the shares target for the next five years, Frasers said: “The committee views this as an appropriate share price target for all executive share scheme awards (including those for the chief executive) in the current macroeconomic and political environment which is challenging for all businesses in the UK and also internationally.”
It pointed out that £12 was still above the highest share price reached for Frasers in the past five years, which was £9.49.
Shareholders will vote on the plans at the group’s AGM on September 24.
Details of the new bonus plans came as Frasers announced that the former head of Britain’s audit watchdog will join the firm as chairman from next month.
Sir Jon Thompson will succeed David Daly, who steps down after eight years in the role.
Frasers appointed ex-Financial Reporting Council (FRC) boss Sir Jon to the board as a non-executive director in June and was widely reported to be lining him up to take over from Mr Daly this year.
Sir Jon will take on the role on September 1, with Mr Daly stepping down from the board at the firm’s AGM.
The group also announced the expected appointment to the board of Andy Lyon, a former partner at accountancy giant PwC, who acted as audit partner for Next and its credit business.
It said it was also set to appoint a second “well-advanced candidate” for a further non-executive director position as it looks to also replace Ger Wright and Helen Wright, who are not seeking re-election at the group’s upcoming AGM.
Mr Murray said: “Jon’s deep experience in corporate governance and strategic leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow as a leading global retail business.”
Frasers is majority-owned by retail tycoon Mr Ashley and also owns brands including House of Fraser, Flannels and Jack Wills and stakes in firms such as Hugo Boss.
Business
West Asia conflict: Govt may ask companies to cut exports, increase auto fuel, LPG supplies – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Amid fears of a shortage in crude supplies, govt is looking to nudge refiners to divert more auto fuel and LPG to the domestic market by cutting on exports and also increase cooking gas production so that there is no disruption in local supplies.While govt and oil companies insisted there’s no shortage, refiners are looking at alternate sources to partly compensate for crude coming from war-hit West Asia.

The tension has led to a spike in oil and gas prices, and given India’s dependence on imports, inflating the import bill and stoking inflationary pressures. Officials, however, said retail fuel prices may not rise immediately, as oil marketing companies follow a calibrated approach — absorbing losses when global prices are high and recouping them when prices soften. Retail petrol and diesel prices have remained unchanged since April 2022.Mantri meets oil cos to assess availability of crude and gasOn a day when Iranian drones damaged part of Saudi Aramco refinery and Qatar Energy’s facilities, the world’s largest LNG producer, announced an export pause, petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his team of officials met oil companies on Monday to assess the availability of crude and gas. “We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation, and all steps will be taken to ensure availability and affordability of major petroleum products in the country,” the oil ministry said in a post on X.India imports nearly 90% of its crude requirement. It also meets 60-65% of its LPG demand and about 60% of its LNG needs through imports, largely from West Asia, with shipments routed via Strait of Hormuz, which risks being choked due to the war.

According to the International Energy Agency, in 2023, 5.9% of the country’s production was being exported. Between April and Dec 2025, India exported petroleum products worth nearly $330 billion, with the Netherlands, UAE, the US, Singapore, Australia and China being the main destinations. In 2024, it also exported petroleum gas worth $454 million, mostly to Nepal, China, and Myanmar. The Reliance refinery in Jamnagar is the largest exporter in the country.An oil company executive said refiners are already in contact with traders to tie up capacities amid fears of the blockade of Strait of Hormuz. By Monday, the global market had caught the jitters from Qatar’s decision to suspend gas shipments.An oil executive said while disruption could cause difficulties in the immediate term, Indian players had a wide portfolio that they can tap for LNG, including the US, with vessels being routed through the Suez Canal.“Even if there is a force majeure, we have other sources of supply, which we can tap. Besides, no one is going to stop supplies indefinitely,” the executive said. While oil and gas prices rose Monday, the focus is on ensuring that supply lines remain open.
Business
Travel stocks fall after thousands of flights grounded following Iran strikes
A display board shows canceled flights to Dubai and Doha amid regional airspace closures at Noi Bai International Airport, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.
Thinh Nguyen | Reuters
Airline and travel stocks slipped Monday after airspace closures throughout the Middle East forced carriers to cancel thousands of flights, disrupting trips as far as Brazil and the Philippines.
Cruise lines stocks also fell sharply, with Royal Caribbean Cruises dropping 3% and Carnival Corp. losing more than 7%.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings‘ stock fell 10% after its earnings call disappointed investors. Elliott Investment Management said last month that it had built a more than 10% stake in the company and that it’s seeking changes. New CEO John Chidsey told analysts that “our strategy is sound, our execution and coordination have not been, and a culture of accountability is essential and necessary going forward.”
Oil prices also rose, potentially driving up airlines’ biggest cost after labor. Flights through the Middle East were grounded, including to destinations like Tel Aviv and Dubai.
United Airlines, which has the most international exposure of the U.S. carriers, fell nearly 3%. Service to Tel Aviv, Israel, one of the airline’s most profitable routes, was halted, but airlines were also was forced to pause flights to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, one of the busiest airport hubs in the world. Dubai is also a home base for the airline Emirates.
Shares of American Airlines lost 4% while Delta Air Lines fell 2%.
More than 11,000 Middle East flights have been canceled since the U.S.-Israeli strikes this weekend, according to aviation-data firm Cirium.
International travel has been a bright spot in the travel sector. In January, international air travel demand jumped 5.9% from a year ago while domestic flight demand was nearly flat, the International Air Transport Association, an airline industry group, said in a report Monday.
— CNBC’s Contessa Brewer contributed to this report.
Business
Brewdog: Bars close and hundreds lose jobs as beer firm sold in £33m deal
Beverage and cannabis company Tilray acquires the brewery, the brand and 11 bars after Brewdog went into administration.
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