Editing BUSINESS LIVE: Ofgem To Fine Symbio Energy

Demand for workplace software helped Microsoft'ѕ ѕecond-quarter profit ϳump bү a tһird<br>As investors wait to hear the outcome оf the US Federal Reserve policy meeting that ends today, the FTSE іs sеt to fall this morning. America's biggest tech giants ѕuch as Apple ɑnd Tesla аге also set tߋ publish tһeir lаtest quarterly ｒesults tߋday. <br>Microsoft's seсond-quarter profit һɑs jᥙmped by ɑ tһird to a record £11.28bilⅼion аs ongoing demand fߋr its workplace software and cloud computing services enabled tһe tech giant tо surpass Wall Street expectations. <br>Ꭲhe owner of discount retailer Poundland, Pepco Grⲟuр, has revealed trading store sales rose 5.5 ρer cent on a like-fοr-lіke basis in its Christmas quarter, ⅾespite Ƅeing impacted bу closures ԁue to the Covid-19 pandemic. <br>Britain's energy regulator Ofgem is sеt to fine Symbio Energy £100,000 for making late payments intо the government's renewables schemes. Ƭhe fine will be cut to £85,000 th᧐ugh if it ɑgrees tߋ settle. <br>&gt; If you are uѕing our app click here to гead Business Live <br><br><br>website investors wait tо heаr the outcome of tһе US Federal Reserve policy meeting tһat еnds tοdaу, tһｅ FTSE іs set to fаll this morning. America'ѕ biggest tech giants ѕuch as Apple аnd Tesla aгe aⅼso set to publish tһeir latest quarterly rｅsults today.","headline":"BUSINESS LIVE: FTSE іn the red; Microsoft profits ϳump by a thіrd; Pepco sales rise; Ofgem tⲟ fіne Symbio...website website threatens Symbio Energy ѡith £100,000 website energy supplier Symbio Energy ϲould be fined as much аs &pound;100,000 foг making late payments intօ government renewables schemes.<br>Industry regulator Ofgem ѕaid Symbio Energy failed tߋ pay fouг instalments on timе, something іt ɑdded that otheг firms haԁ managed tо achieve ⅾespite problems arising from the coronavirus.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website Footsie closes website before close, the FTSE 100 was down 1.36% to&nbsp;6,563.77.<br>Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was down 0.77% to&nbsp;20,289.92.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website has fallen 2.56% in the last 24 hours to $30,781.website Ethereum has risen 1.58% to&nbsp;$1,301.81.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website Point C opening delayed until website of the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has been delayed amid spiraling costs.<br>The cost of getting the nuclear power station built in&nbsp;Bridgwater, Somerset, has been hiked by &pound;500million and the site now looks set to open in June 2026, instead of the end of 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Developer EDF Energy, which is owned by the French state, said 'significant progress' had been made on the construction site, but admitted costs looked set to reach up to &pound;23billion, rather than previous estimates of &pound;22.5billion.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website signs climate order, including end drilling on all federal website Joe Biden will sign a host of climate initiatives on Wednesday, which include ending drilling on federal land and doubling wind energy after he canceled the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.<br>The orders will kick off his drive to combat climate change, an issue area young Democratic voters pressed him on during the presidential campaign.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website regulator bans 'misleading' debt adverts by website UK's advertising watchdog has banned the adverts of two unregulated lead generators after they were found to have mimicked legitimate debt charities and claimed to be endorsed by the Government.<br>The websites 'writeoffmydebt' and 'stepdebtsupport' were criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority after a series of complaints by the Government-funded Money and Pensions Service, all of which were upheld.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website Sachs CEO Solomon pays price of 1MDB website giant Goldman Sachs has clawed back some $174million in executive pay to dozens of current and former senior bankers after it agreed to pay nearly $3billion in fines to the Department of Justice for its role in a Malaysian bribery scandal.<br>Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon's annual pay fell by $10million, or 36 per cent, in 2020, according to regulatory disclosures filed Tuesday, reflecting the bank's role in Malaysia's 1MDB scandal.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website More than a million self-employed missing out on Covid website than one million self-employed workers are missing out on Covid financial support from the Government because they have another source of income, resulting in many facing 'serious hardship', an influential think tank has warned.&nbsp;<br>The Government introduced the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to help workers stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis.&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website has NOT had a catastrophic impact': City of London Corporation boss website boss of the City of London Corporation claims the capital does not want or need the Government to ignite a 'bonfire' of EU regulations to continue thriving as a global financial hub.<br>Catherine McGuinness, chairman of the policy and resources committee of the City of London Corporation, said: 'We&rsquo;re not expecting any major deregulation at all.'&nbsp;<br>But, earlier this month Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed the potential for a 'Big Bang 2.0' in the City of London after Brexit as he hinted that the Government was ready to slash red tape and get rid of regulations incorporating EU rules.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website in London and Edinburgh plunge SpareRoom and Rightmove website costs in pockets of some cities across Britain have fallen drastically in the last 12 months, two separate reports show.<br>Rents in Birmingham, Edinburgh and London fell between 5 and 8 per cent in the last year, data from SpareRoom shows - and in one capital postcode, they have plummeted 26 per cent.&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website your finances as the UK heads for a double-dip website Britain first went into lockdown last spring, the economy crashed.<br>GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the most commonly used key measure of economic growth or contraction and the Bank of England explains that it 'is a measure of the size and health of a country&rsquo;s economy over a period of time (usually one quarter or one year)'.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website and restaurants NOT Covid hotspots, contact tracing directors website restaurants and cafes have never been coronavirus hotspots, local public health directors claimed today.<br>Despite hospitality venues facing hugely damaging restrictions, there has never been a 'terribly big risk' of someone catching the disease in them, they said.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website profits surge as Xbox and Azure services website chief executive has hailed 'the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation' after the tech giant recorded quarterly revenues.<br>High demand for cloud computing services and a successful launch of two new video game consoles helped its year-on-year revenues grow 17 per cent to &pound;31.4billion and net profits to jump by a third to &pound;11.3billion.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website 100 now down 1.28% or 85.50 points to 6,568.website the FTSE 250 is down 0.95 per cent or 193.53 points to&nbsp;20,254.83.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website mobile operators to build and share 200 new website of the UK's biggest mobile network operators have unveiled plans to build more than 200 new mobile masts to improve phone signal in rural areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>As part of the government's Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, announced last March,&nbsp;O2, Three and Vodafone will build and share the usage of 222 new masts across the UK.&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website enjoys sales boost despite the website owner Pepco enjoyed a jump in revenue in its first quarter as locked-down shoppers continue to hunt out a bargain.<br>Like-for-like sales across the retailer's open shops rose by 5.5 per cent over the period, the group's new trading update shows.<br>Despite being labelled an 'essential' retailer, Poundland has temporarily closed 44 of its UK shops, claiming it has put them into 'hibernation' as high-street footfall remains dismally low.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website listings fall amid lockdown but price growth hits four year website price inflation hit a near four-year high in December and could keep rising in the coming months as the third lockdown is exacerbating the property demand and supply imbalance, a new report has found.<br>Demand for homes is rebounding fast but supply is falling as sellers seem reluctant to list their homes while Covid restrictions remain in place - with all regions except London seeing a drop in new listings.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website grocery shopping took off last year but can it be website the height of the dotcom boom, a start-up called Webvan debuted on the New York Stock Exchange. By the end of its first day, this internet grocery delivery firm had seen its stock soar by two-thirds and its market value surpass $8billion.<br>Two years later, it went bankrupt. Since that time, the share of groceries purchased on the web in the UK rose slowly and was only about 7 per cent prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website BRUMMER: BT fails the test of website shares have staged a minor recovery since their nadir last August when they briefly fell below 100p, valuing the owner of broadband network Openreach at less than the &pound;12.5billion it paid for mobile operator EE in 2016.<br>As Britain's dominant broadband and wifi supplier, during a period when large swathes of the workforce and most of the nation's school pupils have been locked down, BT should be trusted to act as if it were an emergency service.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website are not optimistic seeing as restrictions have been getting tighter website Madden, Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK, comments:<br>It has been a quiet morning in Europe as there has been little in the way of major news to trigger trader&rsquo;s interest. Indices are mostly a little lower and low volatility has been the common theme. The same old concerns about tough restrictions denting economic growth, the EU&rsquo;s underperformance with respect to rolling out the vaccine, are hanging over the markets. France could be in for another national lockdown as the government is waiting to see if the current curfew has been managed to keep a lid on the Covid-19 crisis. <br>Dealers are not optimistic seeing as restrictions have been getting tighter recently, we have yet to see any indications that measures will be relaxed in the near-term. Volatility is likely to be low in the US session too as the Fed will release their interest rate decision at 7pm (UK time) &ndash; no change is expected. The press conference will commence 30 minutes later. Traders will be paying close attention to the language used in relation to maintaining the asset purchase scheme, the central bank is likely to make it clear they are still committed to doing what it takes to help the economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website to recruit 400 extra website -&nbsp;Heavy machinery giant JCB is to recruit more than 400 extra workers as it gears up for a surge in production, the company has announced.<br>The market for construction equipment is said to have rebounded sharply after the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring, which halted production at JCB factories around the world.<br>More than 400 additional agency employees will be taken on in jobs including assembly, welding and fork lift truck driving.<br>The Staffordshire-based firm is also giving permanent contracts to up to 300 existing agency employees.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website British jobs at risk of being lost, new research website small businesses are at risk of shutting up shop for good amid a fresh wave of job losses threatening to sweep across Britain, according to new research.<br>The 'grim' new research suggests 2.5million jobs up and down the country are at risk of being lost in the coming months.<br>A marked increase in bankruptcies among British businesses looms as Government support programmes like the furlough scheme end, the Centre for Economic Performance and the Alliance for Full Employment warned.<br>Around one in seven, or 15 per cent, of UK-based firms are at risk of imminent collapse as enforced temporary closures and lockdown restrictions persist.&nbsp;&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website REPORT: Indivior soars as it settles legal battle with website in Indivior celebrated after the pharmaceuticals group and its former parent company Reckitt Benckiser put an end to a bitter and costly legal battle.<br>Dettol-maker Reckitt has dropped a &pound;1billion claim related to a US probe after Indivior agreed to pay it &pound;36million over the next five years.&nbsp;","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website 100 now down 0.19% or 12.33 points to 6,641.website the FTSE 250 index is up 0.14 per cent or 29.57 points to&nbsp;20,477.93.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Jane website big day for the markets lies website Campbell, financial analyst at Spreadex, comments on the markets this morning:<br>Wednesday is pretty stuffed, with the first Fed meeting of 2021, and earnings from Apple, Facebook and Tesla.<br>Sadly for the European markets, all of that happens after the market has closed, meaning a frustratingly mixed session might be on the cards.<br>Abandoning Tuesday&rsquo;s growth by closing time, the FTSE drifted lower once again on Wednesday, ducking below 6,650. That means the index is now closer to where it opened January than the highs it struck in the first week of the year &ndash; and it wouldn&rsquo;t take the sharpest acceleration in its losses for it to erase the remaining 160 or so points.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website may make world take climate change seriously says Blackrock website boss of the world's biggest fund manager has said Covid-19 could finally convince people to take climate change seriously.<br>Larry Fink, whose company Blackrock looks after &pound;6.3trillion of savers' money, said the pandemic has 'exacted a horrific human toll and transformed the way we live, work, learn, access medicine and more'.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website set for $100bn sales record after strong demand for new website is expected to unveil its first $100billion quarter tonight after the iPhone maker launched a string of products in the run-up to Christmas.<br>Analysts predict the US tech giant raked in a record $103.4billion (&pound;75.2billion) during the final three months of 2020, the equivalent of more than half a million pounds per minute.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website 'seems to be managing the transition to a cloud-based world with website Hyett, Equity Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, comments on Microsoft:<br>The Microsoft machine rolls on. While the group&rsquo;s operating systems and office packages have become synonymous with business computing, it seems to be managing the transition to a cloud-based world with aplomb. The age of the desktop may be drawing to a close &ndash; but Microsoft has positioned itself well for the future.<br>Apart from the dominance of cloud products across all business lines, these results serve to illustrate Microsoft&rsquo;s strength in depth. The 50 per cent leap in Azure revenues is the most eye-catching number this quarter, but punchy results from Xbox, Dynamics and LinkedIn could all justify a headline spot in most company results.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website profits rise a third to $15.website - As the pandemic raged through the US, Microsoft's business continued chugging ahead and beat Wall Street expectations for the last three months of 2020, powered by ongoing demand for its workplace software and cloud computing services as people worked from home.<br>The company on Tuesday reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $15.5billion, up 33 per cent from the same period last year.&nbsp;<br>In a statement Tuesday, CEO Satya Nadella called it 'the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry.'<br>Net income of $2.03 per share beat Wall Street expectations.&nbsp;The software maker posted revenue of $43.1billion in the October-December period, up 17 per cent from last year and also beating forecasts.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website Musk's tweet helps fuel massive surge in GameStop website shares skyrocketed for a fourth straight day Tuesday and is now worth $10billion - and was boosted again in after-hours trading by a tweet by&nbsp;Elon Musk.&nbsp;<br>The struggling game retailer is now up more than 680 per cent this year, after amateur investors on Reddit group WallStreetBets began buying up stock.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website FTSE 100 index opened at 6654.website pound at 8am was 1.3754 dollars compared to 1.3727 dollars at the previous close.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Harry website<br>    <br><br>    <br>        <br>            <br>                <br>                Jane Denton<br>                <br>Host commentator<br><br>            <br>            <br>                <br>                Harry Wise<br>                <br>Host commentator<br><br>            <br>        <br>    <br><br>    <br>        <br>            <br>                <br>            <br>        <br><br>        <br>            <br>            <br>                <br>                <br>            <br>        <br>        Auto-update<br>    <br><br>    <br>    <br>        16:36 <br>    <br>    <br>            Ofgem threatens Symbio Energy with £100,000 fine<br>    <br>    <br>        Watford-based energy supplier Symbio Energy could be fined as much as &pound;100,000 for making late payments into government renewables schemes.<br><br>Industry regulator Ofgem said Symbio Energy failed to pay four instalments on time, something it added that other firms had managed to achieve despite problems arising from the coronavirus.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Ofgem threatens Symbio Energy with £100,000 fine<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Industry regulator Ofgem said Symbio Energy failed to pay four instalments  on time, something it added that other firms had managed to achieve despite problems arising from the coronavirus.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        16:26 <br>    <br>    <br>            The Footsie closes soon<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Just before close, the FTSE 100 was down 1.36% to&nbsp;6,563.77.<br><br><br>Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was down 0.77% to&nbsp;20,289.92.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        16:19 <br>    <br>    <br>            Bitcoin has fallen 2.56% in the last 24 hours to $30,781.34<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Meanwhile, Ethereum has risen 1.58% to&nbsp;$1,301.81.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        16:08 <br>    <br>    <br>            Hinkley Point C opening delayed until 2026<br>    <br>    <br>        Construction of the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has been delayed amid spiraling costs.<br><br>The cost of getting the nuclear power station built in&nbsp;Bridgwater, Somerset, has been hiked by &pound;500million and the site now looks set to open in June 2026, instead of the end of 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>Developer EDF Energy, which is owned by the French state, said 'significant progress' had been made on the construction site, but admitted costs looked set to reach up to &pound;23billion, rather than previous estimates of &pound;22.5billion.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Hinkley Point C opening delayed as costs spiral<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            The cost of getting the nuclear power station built in Bridgwater, Somerset, has been hiked by £500million and the site now looks set to open in June 2026, instead of the end of 2025.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        15:56 <br>    <br>    <br>            Biden signs climate order, including end drilling on all federal land<br>    <br>    <br>        President Joe Biden will sign a host of climate initiatives on Wednesday, which include ending drilling on federal land and doubling wind energy after he canceled the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.<br><br>The orders will kick off his drive to combat climate change, an issue area young Democratic voters pressed him on during the presidential campaign.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Biden signs climate order, including end drilling on all federal land<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            President Joe Biden will sign a host of climate initiatives, which include ending drilling on federal land and doubling wind energy after he canceled the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        15:28 <br>    <br>    <br>            Advertising regulator bans 'misleading' debt adverts by impersonators<br>    <br>    <br>        The UK's advertising watchdog has banned the adverts of two unregulated lead generators after they were found to have mimicked legitimate debt charities and claimed to be endorsed by the Government.<br><br>The websites 'writeoffmydebt' and 'stepdebtsupport' were criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority after a series of complaints by the Government-funded Money and Pensions Service, all of which were upheld.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Advertising regulator bans 'misleading' debt adverts by impersonators<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            The websites 'writeoffmydebt' and 'stepdebtsupport' were criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority after a series of complaints.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        15:03 <br>    <br>    <br>            Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon pays price of 1MDB scandal<br>    <br>    <br>        Investment giant Goldman Sachs has clawed back some $174million in executive pay to dozens of current and former senior bankers after it agreed to pay nearly $3billion in fines to the Department of Justice for its role in a Malaysian bribery scandal.<br><br>Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon's annual pay fell by $10million, or 36 per cent, in 2020, according to regulatory disclosures filed Tuesday, reflecting the bank's role in Malaysia's 1MDB scandal.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon pays price of 1MDB scandal<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon (left), CFO Stephen Scherr (top right), and COO John Waldron (bottom right) all saw their 2020 salaries reduced due to bank's role in Malaysia's 1MDB scandal.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        14:58 <br>    <br>    <br>            IFS: More than a million self-employed missing out on Covid support<br>    <br>    <br>        More than one million self-employed workers are missing out on Covid financial support from the Government because they have another source of income, resulting in many facing 'serious hardship', an influential think tank has warned.&nbsp;<br><br>The Government introduced the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to help workers stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis.&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                IFS: More than a million self-employed missing out on Covid support<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the way in which a self-employment support scheme has been set up means 1.5million workers are currently excluded from claiming support.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        14:35 <br>    <br>    <br>            'Brexit has NOT had a catastrophic impact': City of London Corporation boss says<br>    <br>    <br>        The boss of the City of London Corporation claims the capital does not want or need the Government to ignite a 'bonfire' of EU regulations to continue thriving as a global financial hub.<br><br>Catherine McGuinness, chairman of the policy and resources committee of the City of London Corporation, said: 'We&rsquo;re not expecting any major deregulation at all.'&nbsp;<br><br>But, earlier this month Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed the potential for a 'Big Bang 2.0' in the City of London after Brexit as he hinted that the Government was ready to slash red tape and get rid of regulations incorporating EU rules.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                'Brexit has NOT been catastrophic': City of London boss says<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Despite reservations about a potential 'bonfire' of EU rules by the Government, City of London Corporation boss Catherine McGuiness thinks the capital will continue to thrive as a financial hub.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        14:24 <br>    <br>    <br>            Rents in London and Edinburgh plunge SpareRoom and Rightmove says<br>    <br>    <br>        Rental costs in pockets of some cities across Britain have fallen drastically in the last 12 months, two separate reports show.<br><br>Rents in Birmingham, Edinburgh and  Software Rabatt London fell between 5 and 8 per cent in the last year, data from SpareRoom shows - and in one capital postcode, they have plummeted 26 per cent.&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Rents in London and Edinburgh plunge SpareRoom and Rightmove says<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Rental costs in some cities across Britain have fallen drastically in the last 12 months, two separate reports from Rightmove and SpareRoom show.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        14:05 <br>    <br>    <br>            Protect your finances as the UK heads for a double-dip recession<br>    <br>    <br>        When Britain first went into lockdown last spring, the economy crashed.<br><br>GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the most commonly used key measure of economic growth or contraction and the Bank of England explains that it 'is a measure of the size and health of a country&rsquo;s economy over a period of time (usually one quarter or one year)'.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Protect your finances as the UK heads for a double-dip recession<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Unemployment has climbed to 5 per cent while recent GDP figures highlighted a likely double-dip recession for the UK. We outline how you can protect yourself.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        13:43 <br>    <br>    <br>            Pubs and restaurants NOT Covid hotspots, contact tracing directors say<br>    <br>    <br>        Pubs, restaurants and cafes have never been coronavirus hotspots, local public health directors claimed today.<br><br>Despite hospitality venues facing hugely damaging restrictions, there has never been a 'terribly big risk' of someone catching the disease in them, they said.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Pubs and restaurants NOT Covid hotspots, contact tracing directors say<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Greg Fell, director of public health in Sheffield, and Dr Richard Harling, his counterpart in Staffordshire, said the bulk of transmission has always been in people's homes.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        13:29 <br>    <br>    <br>            Microsoft profits surge as Xbox and Azure services soar<br>    <br>    <br>        Microsoft's chief executive has hailed 'the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation' after the tech giant recorded quarterly revenues.<br><br>High demand for cloud computing services and a successful launch of two new video game consoles helped its year-on-year revenues grow 17 per cent to &pound;31.4billion and net profits to jump by a third to &pound;11.3billion.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Microsoft profits surge as Xbox and Azure services soar<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            High demand for cloud computing services and a successful launch of two new video game consoles helped its year-on-year revenues grow 17 per cent to £31.4billion.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        13:04 <br>    <br>    <br>            FTSE 100 now down 1.28% or 85.50 points to 6,568.51<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 is down 0.95 per cent or 193.53 points to&nbsp;20,254.83.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        12:48 <br>    <br>    <br>            UK mobile operators to build and share 200 new masts<br>    <br>    <br>        Three of the UK's biggest mobile network operators have unveiled plans to build more than 200 new mobile masts to improve phone signal in rural areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>As part of the government's Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, announced last March,&nbsp;O2, Three and Vodafone will build and share the usage of 222 new masts across the UK.&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                UK mobile operators to build and share 200 new masts<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            O2, Three and Vodafone have unveiled their plans as part of the Shared Rural Network scheme to  build and share 222 new masts to boost 4G coverage in hard-to-reach areas of the UK.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        12:25 <br>    <br>    <br>            Poundland enjoys sales boost despite the pandemic<br>    <br>    <br>        Poundland owner Pepco enjoyed a jump in revenue in its first quarter as locked-down shoppers continue to hunt out a bargain.<br><br>Like-for-like sales across the retailer's open shops rose by 5.5 per cent over the period, the group's new trading update shows.<br><br>Despite being labelled an 'essential' retailer, Poundland has temporarily closed 44 of its UK shops, claiming it has put them into 'hibernation' as high-street footfall remains dismally low.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Poundland enjoys sales boost as expansion plans continue<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Like-for-like sales across the retailer's open shops rose by 5.5 per cent over the period, the group's new trading update shows.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        11:39 <br>    <br>    <br>            New listings fall amid lockdown but price growth hits four year high<br>    <br>    <br>        House price inflation hit a near four-year high in December and could keep rising in the coming months as the third lockdown is exacerbating the property demand and supply imbalance, a new report has found.<br><br>Demand for homes is rebounding fast but supply is falling as sellers seem reluctant to list their homes while Covid restrictions remain in place - with all regions except London seeing a drop in new listings.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                New listings fall amid lockdown but price growth hits four year high<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            The average price for a UK home rose 4.3 per cent to £223,700 in the year to December, the highest since April 2017, according to property portal Zoopla.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        11:10 <br>    <br>    <br>            Online grocery shopping took off last year but can it be profitable?<br>    <br>    <br>        At the height of the dotcom boom, a start-up called Webvan debuted on the New York Stock Exchange. By the end of its first day, this internet grocery delivery firm had seen its stock soar by two-thirds and its market value surpass $8billion.<br><br>Two years later, it went bankrupt. Since that time, the share of groceries purchased on the web in the UK rose slowly and was only about 7 per cent prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Online grocery shopping took off last year but can it be profitable?<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Within a matter of weeks last year, supermarkets had to ramp up their digital operations as online customer orders went from a ripple to a deluge.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        10:50 <br>    <br>    <br>            ALEX BRUMMER: BT fails the test of care<br>    <br>    <br>        BT shares have staged a minor recovery since their nadir last August when they briefly fell below 100p, valuing the owner of broadband network Openreach at less than the &pound;12.5billion it paid for mobile operator EE in 2016.<br><br>As Britain's dominant broadband and wifi supplier, during a period when large swathes of the workforce and most of the nation's school pupils have been locked down, BT should be trusted to act as if it were an emergency service.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                ALEX BRUMMER: BT fails the test of care<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            BT shares have staged a minor recovery since their nadir last August when they briefly fell below 100p, valuing the company at less than the £12.5bn it paid for mobile operator EE in 2016.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        10:27 <br>    <br>    <br>            'Dealers are not optimistic seeing as restrictions have been getting tighter recently'<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>David Madden, Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK, comments:<br><br><br>It has been a quiet morning in Europe as there has been little in the way of major news to trigger trader&rsquo;s interest. Indices are mostly a little lower and low volatility has been the common theme. The same old concerns about tough restrictions denting economic growth, the EU&rsquo;s underperformance with respect to rolling out the vaccine, are hanging over the markets. France could be in for another national lockdown as the government is waiting to see if the current curfew has been managed to keep a lid on the Covid-19 crisis. <br><br><br>Dealers are not optimistic seeing as restrictions have been getting tighter recently, we have yet to see any indications that measures will be relaxed in the near-term. Volatility is likely to be low in the US session too as the Fed will release their interest rate decision at 7pm (UK time) &ndash; no change is expected. The press conference will commence 30 minutes later. Traders will be paying close attention to the language used in relation to maintaining the asset purchase scheme, the central bank is likely to make it clear they are still committed to doing what it takes to help the economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        09:46 <br>    <br>    <br>            JCB to recruit 400 extra staff<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>(PA) -&nbsp;Heavy machinery giant JCB is to recruit more than 400 extra workers as it gears up for a surge in production, the company has announced.<br><br>The market for construction equipment is said to have rebounded sharply after the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring, which halted production at JCB factories around the world.<br><br>More than 400 additional agency employees will be taken on in jobs including assembly, welding and fork lift truck driving.<br><br>The Staffordshire-based firm is also giving permanent contracts to up to 300 existing agency employees.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        09:16 <br>    <br>    <br>            2.5MILLION British jobs at risk of being lost, new research warns<br>    <br>    <br>        Over&nbsp;900,000 small businesses are at risk of shutting up shop for good amid a fresh wave of job losses threatening to sweep across Britain, according to new research.<br><br>The 'grim' new research suggests 2.5million jobs up and down the country are at risk of being lost in the coming months.<br><br>A marked increase in bankruptcies among British businesses looms as Government support programmes like the furlough scheme end, the Centre for Economic Performance and the Alliance for Full Employment warned.<br><br>Around one in seven, or 15 per cent, of UK-based firms are at risk of imminent collapse as enforced temporary closures and lockdown restrictions persist.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                2.5MILLION British jobs at risk of being lost<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            A marked increase in bankruptcies among British businesses looms as Government support programmes end, the Centre for Economic Performance said in its latest findings.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:56 <br>    <br>    <br>            MARKET REPORT: Indivior soars as it settles legal battle with Reckitt<br>    <br>    <br>        Investors in Indivior celebrated after the pharmaceuticals group and its former parent company Reckitt Benckiser put an end to a bitter and costly legal battle.<br><br>Dettol-maker Reckitt has dropped a &pound;1billion claim related to a US probe after Indivior agreed to pay it &pound;36million over the next five years.&nbsp;<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                MARKET REPORT: Indivior soars as it settles legal battle with Reckitt<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Indivior has spent years wrangling with US authorities, who accused the company of fraudulently marketing its bestselling opioid addiction treatment suboxone by underplaying safety risks.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:56 <br>    <br>    <br>            FTSE 100 now down 0.19% or 12.33 points to 6,641.68<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 index is up 0.14 per cent or 29.57 points to&nbsp;20,477.93.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:38 <br>    <br>    <br>            A big day for the markets lies ahead<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Connor Campbell, financial analyst at Spreadex, comments on the markets this morning:<br><br><br>Wednesday is pretty stuffed, with the first Fed meeting of 2021, and earnings from Apple, Facebook and Tesla.<br><br><br>Sadly for the European markets, all of that happens after the market has closed, meaning a frustratingly mixed session might be on the cards.<br><br><br>Abandoning Tuesday&rsquo;s growth by closing time, the FTSE drifted lower once again on Wednesday, ducking below 6,650. That means the index is now closer to where it opened January than the highs it struck in the first week of the year &ndash; and it wouldn&rsquo;t take the sharpest acceleration in its losses for it to erase the remaining 160 or so points.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:32 <br>    <br>    <br>            Covid may make world take climate change seriously says Blackrock boss<br>    <br>    <br>        The boss of the world's biggest fund manager has said Covid-19 could finally convince people to take climate change seriously.<br><br>Larry Fink, whose company Blackrock looks after &pound;6.3trillion of savers' money, said the pandemic has 'exacted a horrific human toll and transformed the way we live, work, learn, access medicine and more'.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Covid may make world take climate change seriously says Blackrock boss<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Larry Fink, whose company BlackRock looks after £6.3trillion of savers' money, the pandemic has exacted a horrific human toll and transformed the way we live, work, learn and much more.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:28 <br>    <br>    <br>            Apple set for $100bn sales record after strong demand for new devices<br>    <br>    <br>        Apple is expected to unveil its first $100billion quarter tonight after the iPhone maker launched a string of products in the run-up to Christmas.<br><br>Analysts predict the US tech giant raked in a record $103.4billion (&pound;75.2billion) during the final three months of 2020, the equivalent of more than half a million pounds per minute.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Apple set for $100bn sales record after strong demand for new devices<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            Analysts predict the US tech giant raked in a record $103.4bn (£75.2bn) during the final three months of 2020, the equivalent of more than half a million pounds per minute.<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                This is Money<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:22 <br>    <br>    <br>            Microsoft 'seems to be managing the transition to a cloud-based world with aplomb'<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>Nicholas Hyett, Equity Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, comments on Microsoft:<br><br><br>The Microsoft machine rolls on. While the group&rsquo;s operating systems and office packages have become synonymous with business computing, it seems to be managing the transition to a cloud-based world with aplomb. The age of the desktop may be drawing to a close &ndash; but Microsoft has positioned itself well for the future.<br><br><br>Apart from the dominance of cloud products across all business lines, these results serve to illustrate Microsoft&rsquo;s strength in depth. The 50 per cent leap in Azure revenues is the most eye-catching number this quarter, but punchy results from Xbox, Dynamics and LinkedIn could all justify a headline spot in most company results.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:17 <br>    <br>    <br>            Microsoft's profits rise a third to $15.5bn<br>    <br>    <br>        (AP) - As the pandemic raged through the US, Microsoft's business continued chugging ahead and beat Wall Street expectations for the last three months of 2020, powered by ongoing demand for its workplace software and cloud computing services as people worked from home.<br><br>The company on Tuesday reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $15.5billion, up 33 per cent from the same period last year.&nbsp;<br><br>In a statement Tuesday, CEO Satya Nadella called it 'the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry.'<br><br>Net income of $2.03 per share beat Wall Street expectations.&nbsp;The software maker posted revenue of $43.1billion in the October-December period, up 17 per cent from last year and also beating forecasts.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:13 <br>    <br>    <br>            Elon Musk's tweet helps fuel massive surge in GameStop shares<br>    <br>    <br>        GameStop's shares skyrocketed for a fourth straight day Tuesday and is now worth $10billion - and was boosted again in after-hours trading by a tweet by&nbsp;Elon Musk.&nbsp;<br><br>The struggling game retailer is now up more than 680 per cent this year, after amateur investors on Reddit group WallStreetBets began buying up stock.<br><br>    <br><br>        <br>            <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                    <br>                                    <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Elon Musk's tweet helps fuel massive surge in GameStop shares<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            GameStop's shares skyrocketed for a fourth straight day and is now worth $10bn, thanks in part to Elon Musk's Tuesday tweet. GameStop surged 50% after Musk tweeted 'Gamestonk!!<br>                                        <br>                                        <br>                                            <br>                                                Mail Online<br>                                            <br>                                        <br>                                    <br>                                <br>        <br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br>    <br>        08:10 <br>    <br>    <br>            The FTSE 100 index opened at 6654.01<br>    <br>    <br>        <br>The pound at 8am was 1.3754 dollars compared to 1.3727 dollars at the previous close.<br><br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br>        <br>        <br>    <br><br><br><br>    <br><br>    0<br>    0<br><br>    <br><br>    <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>    if (!window.LiveCommentary) window.LiveCommentary = ;<br>    window.LiveCommentary.commentaryConf = JSON.parse('"publicNodeHost":"livecommentary.dailymail.ϲo.website