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    Lombard

    The Financial Times’ British business column

    Lombard gives readers the critical insights they need to judge UK companies’ prospects. It aims to provide lively commentary and analysis on UK plc and the City of London: the companies, the personalities, the deals and the challenges.

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    • Thursday, 4 March, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      London celebrates but for Deliveroo IPO to succeed, it needs to deliver

      Takeaway group’s float plan is no victory for listings rule liberalism; B&M’s retail pandemic boost is stalling

    • Thursday, 4 March, 2021
      Jamie Powell
      Finance run amok should not take the blame for Greensill’s problems

      Regulators should be wary of overreaction on supply chain financing; DMGT’s image problem disguises a transformation

    • Tuesday, 2 March, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      It’s no laughing matter, but US is crying wolf over Boohoo import ban

      Customs officers have more to worry about than a UK online retailer; Weir’s weaker order book belies robust trading

    • Monday, 1 March, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Investors already have the measure of another UK mortgage guarantee scheme

      Budget plan seen feeding house price inflation; BT remains a work in progress as Du Plessis bows out

    • Thursday, 25 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Mondi seeks to box clever around DS Smith takeover speculation

      Silence from Europe’s biggest containerboard groups; electric car demand helps Anglo American shine

    • Wednesday, 24 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      UK’s competition watchdog needs some competition

      Blank-cheque groups an unlikely quick fix for LSE; private equity fund circles Synthomer

    • Tuesday, 23 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Travel stocks have taken flight but face a long haul back to normality

      Sector rotation, not lockdown optimism, has been driving markets; another washout year for recession-proof McBride

    • Monday, 22 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      G4S secures a solid price even as GardaWorld’s pursuit ends in failure

      Canadian rival’s auction withdrawal puts an end to hostilities; IG’s retrenchment shows the perils of market volatility

    • Thursday, 18 February, 2021
      Jamie Powell
      Lure of US premium valuations proves too strong

      UK hopefuls cross the pond, while lockdown leaves Smith & Nephew bruised

    • Wednesday, 17 February, 2021
      Jamie Powell
      City of London should turn to night-time economy for its revival

      Clubs and culture can fill empty office space; Plus500 loses out to its punters

    • Tuesday, 16 February, 2021
      Ian Smith
      Serco’s march on US defence could go further

      Test and trace outsourcer bets big on military tech; Virgin Wines’ float looks to cash in on rival’s success

    • Monday, 15 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Mitchells & Butlers’ cash call leaves small shareholders with a hangover

      Coup attempt by pub group’s leading investors is bad for governance; Jaguar must consider its next electric leap

    • Thursday, 11 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Royal Mail turnround still needs the workers’ stamp of approval

      Christmas was first-class but might not last; Upper Crust owner SSP begins second wave of travel sector cash calls

    • Wednesday, 10 February, 2021
      Property sector
      Housebuilders won’t be fazed by the cladding outcry

      Reparations for high-rise flats are reputation management; silence is golden for buyout fund target Equiniti

    • Tuesday, 9 February, 2021
      Ian Smith
      Numis’s EU move offers hedge against IPOs leaving London

      Investment bank to open office to manage Brexit risks; Micro Focus drags itself back to the future

    • Monday, 8 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Smaller companies pay the price for decades of boardroom excess

      Spiralling indemnity insurance costs weigh on SMEs; private equity comes knocking for debt collector Arrow Global

    • Thursday, 4 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Compass seeks new direction after food parcels fiasco

      Rising profitability and tumbling sales at the world’s largest caterer; Swiss watch sales ticking along

    • Wednesday, 3 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Board reinforcement helps Glencore prepare for life after Ivan

      Cynthia Carroll’s appointment is about more than just gender quotas; Schroders seeks to jettison Neil Woodford’s legacy

    • Tuesday, 2 February, 2021
      Ian Smith
      'Buy now pay later' lenders brace for new regime

      Tougher rules welcome for Klarna and company; hard times at Covent Garden landlord Capco

    • Monday, 1 February, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      JD Sports’ American dream: for people to visit shops

      US expansion keeps Nike and Adidas onside; Ryanair burns cash awaiting clearance for take-off

    • Thursday, 28 January, 2021
      Louise Lucas
      Runaway tequila sales make Diageo well worth a shot

      Lockdown cocktails help shake up world’s biggest distiller; rejigged US split plan leaves Prudential looking wounded

    • Wednesday, 27 January, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Hedge funds feel the heat as Pearson catches day-trader fever

      Bearish bets unwound as US exuberance crosses the Atlantic

    • Tuesday, 26 January, 2021
      Ian Smith
      Housebuilders head for reckoning as state support deadlines loom

      Crest has stronger foundations but greater help for buyers set to end; light at the end of the tunnel is distant for Trainline

    • Tuesday, 26 January, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      Online retailers are playing a risky game with the UK high street

      Deals pursued by Boohoo and Asos will hit town centres; a rare earth project where cash is sparse

    • Thursday, 21 January, 2021
      Bryce Elder
      UK housing is booming, but Ibstock offers a risky bet

      Building materials are safe as houses but only at a price; Hipgnosis’ sketchy disclosure hits all the wrong notes

    Previous page You are on page 1 Next page

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