Hot Off The Wires - 23 March 2020

News

• Britain’s top listed companies have been ordered to stop publishing their annual results for at least the next fortnight in an unprecedented move by the City regulator to deal with the chaos caused by the coronavirus.

• Wall Street’s “big short” against US retail has inflicted painful paper losses on AllianceBernstein, which has insured debts owed by shopping malls facing disruption or closure because of coronavirus.

• Richard Branson has committed to investing $250m into his Virgin empire to protect jobs, as talks continue on airlines industry bailout.

• Almost a million UK jobs could be lost as a result of the devastating Covid-19 outbreak despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s vast wage subsidy scheme, experts have warned.

• The number of UK companies in financial distress has surpassed half a million, underlining the threat of a wave of business collapses from the coronavirus crisis

Results

• ITV (ITV) - Trading Update

• Kingfisher (KFG) - Trading Update

• Royal Dutch Shell B (RDSB) - Trading Update. Update on Buyback Programme

• Associated British Foods (ABF) - COVID-19 Update

• NewRiver REIT (NRR) - Impact of Coronavirus on community pub portfolio

• IWG (IWG) - COVID-19 Update

• SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEIT) - Covid-19 Statement

• Medica Group (MGP) - Trading Update. Medica and Qure.ai partner to use AI

• S&U (SUS) - Delay to publication of FY Results

• Spire Healthcare (SPI) – Agreement with NHS England

• Metal Tiger (MTR) - Southern Gold A$4 Million Revised Fundraise

• FireAngel Safety Technology (FA) - Open Offer and Placing to raise £6.1 million

• Fulham Shore (FUL) - Trading Update

Trivia

What year did Sony introduce the 'Walkman'?

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