Category

Business

The latest published reporting in this category.

Finance

Asda appoints former Morrisons boss as chief executive as sales struggle

David Potts to take over immediately as executive chair Allan Leighton steps back to non-executive strategic role Business live – latest updates Asda has appointed David Potts, the 69-year-old former boss of Morrisons, as its chief executive with immediate effect as it continues to struggle to lift sales. The UK’s third largest supermarket said its 73-year-old executive chair, Allan Leighton, who has been running the business since 2024, would now step back to a non-executive role focusing on “the long-term strategic agenda for the business”. Continue reading...

The Guardian
Read more
Finance

Apple warns of ‘unprecedented’ rise in memory chip prices

iPhone maker says decision to raise prices has offset some of impact, as revenues are stronger than expected Business live – latest updates Apple has warned of an “unprecedented” rise in memory chip prices, as it battles with datacentres to lay its hands on supplies. The iPhone maker’s shares fell in after-hours trading after it told investors that the higher prices will eat into its profit margins. Continue reading...

The Guardian
Read more
Finance

John Lewis Christmas ad stars Kristin Scott Thomas as glamorous granny on a gift hunt

Company tugs at heartstrings with Pickles the talking toy dog as it celebrates 20 years of blockbuster festive ads Review: Kristin Scott Thomas v Pickles the evil AI overlord puppy John Lewis has turned to a celebrity best known for playing aristocrats to put a playful but rather upmarket spin on the countdown to Christmas with this year’s festive ad, which features a toy dog called Pickles and a glamorous granny. Kristin Scott Thomas, known for playing upper-crust characters in films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and the Apple TV show Slow Horses, is cast as Gloria, a grandmother search

The Guardian
Read more
Finance

RBA interest rates: Bullock says ‘pain now’ will prevent worse later as Reserve Bank hikes rates for fifth time

Reserve Bank of Australia increases official cash rate to 4.85%, bringing it to highest level since 2008 RBA interest rates live updates: Reserve Bank cash rate decision Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcast The Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock has said that “some pain now will prevent even worse pain down the track”, after lifting official interest rates to an 18-year high of 4.85% in a bid to combat persistent inflation. The RBA’s decision to hit mortgage holders for a fifth time in 2026 will intensify pressure on indebted households, but there were signs that th

The Guardian
Read more
Finance

Poundland staff could be out of work for years if retailer collapses, founder says

Steve Smith calls on owners to accept proposed buyout as 12,000 staff face uncertain future in run-up to Christmas The founder of Poundland has warned that staff at the retailer could be out of work for “years” if it collapses, as he called on the owners of the troubled chain to accept a proposed buyout deal. Steve Smith, who set up the firm with a store in Burton upon Trent in 1990, said: “Once these jobs are lost, they are lost” from Britain’s struggling high streets. His warning comes as the chain’s 12,000 employees face uncertainty over their future in the run-up to Christmas. Continue rea

The Guardian
Read more
Finance

UK job satisfaction at record low amid rising frustration over pay and flexible working

Resolution Foundation study finds workers are less willing to go ‘above and beyond for employers than a decade ago’ Job satisfaction among UK workers has dropped to a record low, according to a study that shows a growing frustration with employers over pay and flexible working. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation thinktank shows that a lack of flexible working, insecure jobs and a loss of independence have undermined how workers feel about their employment. Continue reading...

The Guardian
Read more