Northern Financial Review

Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator, on Tuesday announced a £56 million plan to deliver Europe’s largest single investment in electric buses for Greater…

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Thursday it has launched a formal investigation into the proposed merger between J Sainsbury and Asda Group. Sainsbury’s…

York-based Persimmon, the UK’s second-largest house builder, said on Tuesday its profit before tax increased 13% to £516.3 million and revenue was up 5% to £1.84 billion in the…

Selby, North Yorkshire-based power company Drax Group said it has switched on its fourth biomass generating unit — taking its giant power station a step closer…

A consortium led by international support services and construction group Interserve have reached financial close on a £105 million project for Durham University. The scheme…

Walmart’s Leeds-based subsidiary Asda — currently preparing to be taken over by Sainsbury’s — has reported a fifth quarter of positive growth in the period from April 1 to…

Shares of Stockport-based beach holiday retailer On the Beach Group plc rose 14% on Thursday after it said its profit for the financial year “will be broadly…

New research shows that Liverpool City Region’s “visitor economy” is now worth more than £4.5 billion, last year welcomed 64 million visitors to the region…

Manchester-based car dealership Lookers plc said its turnover increased 5% to £2.58 billion in the six months to June 30, but adjusted profit before tax fell 14%…

Sheffield-based video gaming giant Sumo Group plc said it acquired Brighton-based game development studio The Chinese Room Ltd for a total consideration of £2.2 million…

Manchester-based Co-operative Bank plc said on Friday that Tom Wood, its chief financial and restructuring officer, “has decided to step down from his position following…

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct International announced on Friday it acquired House of Fraser from administrators for £90 million in cash. Sports Direct International said in a stock exchange…

Shares of Wakefield-based greeting cards retailer Card Factory fell about 10% after it said it expects underlying earnings for the year to be between £89 millon…

Newcastle-based house building giant Bellway said its revenue rose about 16% to a record of almost £3 billion in the year ended July 31, 2018, and…

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned the UK would run out of food in seven months if it relied only on British-grown produce. NFU president…

Ilkley, West Yorkshire-based NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent engineering, IT and facilities services group, saw its order book break the £1 billion milestone in the 12 months…

Chesire-based Pets At Home, the retailer of pet food, accessories and veterinary services, reported revenue growth of 8.1% to £277.4 million for the 16 week period…

Leeds Building Society on Friday announced results for the first half of 2018, saying its total assets increased to £19.5 billion, up 13% since June…

Bradford-based Yorkshire Building Society’s recent interim results showed its core operating profit rose to £86.3 million for the first six months of the year compared to £84.2 million…

Newcastle-based software giant Sage Group, the UK’s largest tech company, said on Thursday it remains confident of achieving its full year guidance on “organic” revenue…

Skipton Building Society said total group profit before tax rose to £104.7 million in the six months to June 30, up from £67 million at…

Shares of embattled Bradford-based subprime lender Provident Financial rose about 7% on Tuesday as it strengthened its board with the appointment of Patrick Snowball as chairman and…

Chesire-based NWF Group plc, the agricultural and distribution business that delivers feed, food and fuel across the UK, said on Tuesday its revenue rose 9.9%…

Shares of Greggs, the Newcastle-based bakery and “food-on-the-go” retailer, rose about 8% after it said its sales rose 5.2% to £476 million in the 26 weeks…

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on Monday called on UK Prime Minister Theresa May to intervene to solve the ongoing chaos on the…

Shares of Leeds-based fashion and retail logistics firm Clipper Logistics plc fell about 20% on Monday despite the firm announcing its revenue increased 17.6% to £400.1…

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank owner CYBG, which is buying Newcastle-based Virgin Money for roughly £1.7 billion, said on Monday its third-quarter trading was in line with its…

The Factory – a new cultural venue in the heart of Manchester – has been given final approval by Manchester City Council’s planning committee. It…

Macclesfield-based engineering and thermal processing giant Bodycote said it expects its full year results to “be marginally ahead of current consensus.” Bodycote said that for the…

Newcastle and Edinburgh-based Virgin Money, which is being bought by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank owner CYBG for around £1.7 billion, said on Thursday its underlying profit before…

Carlisle-based Stobart Group — consumed by a lengthy boardroom battle — said on Wednesday it hired search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to help strengthen its board and appointed…

Manchester-based soaps and consumer products company PZ Cussons said its adjusted profit before tax fell 21.5% to £80.1 million for the year to May 31, 2018, “largely due to…

Shares of Selby, North Yorkshire-based power company Drax Group fell about 5% after it said its first-half earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell to…

Prime Minister Theresa May will confirm a £780 million investment in the East Coast Main Line when she holds a Cabinet meeting in the North East…

Merseyside-based Vimto and soft drinks firm Nichols plc said its revenue rose 2.3% to £65 million and profit before tax increased 2.7% to £13.1 million in the half…

Shares of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct International fell about 7% after it said its reported profit before tax fell 72.5% to £77.5 million despite revenue rising 3.5% to £3.36…

Shares of Chester-based price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com rose about 8% after it said its revenue rose 5% to £173.7 million in the six months to June 30,…

British Steel reported a first quarter profit of £21 million and announced the biggest single investment in its manufacturing operations for a decade. The resurrected…

Manchester-based cyber security company NCC Group said its revenue from continuing operations grew 8.3% to £233.2 million in the year to May 31 and profit before tax…

Newcastle-based building services firm Northern Bear plc said its turnover from continuing operations rose to £53.6 million in the year to March 31, 2018, from…

LGIM Real Assets (Legal & General) said it acquired Steel Vulcan House, a 120,000 sq ft modern office building in the centre of Sheffield for…

Liverpool-based B&M European Value Retail said its total sales revenue increased 21.3% to £796.3 million in its first quarter to June 30, 2018. B&M UK sales…

Doncaster-based DFS Furniture warned in a trading update that its full-year earnings will fall below last year, blaming “exceptionally hot weather” and “disruption outside of our…

Shares of Leeds-based leisure and logistics firm Dart Group, owner of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, soared about 35% after it said its revenue increased 38% to £2.39 billion and pre-tax profit…

Manchester-based Begbies Traynor Group plc, the business recovery, financial advisory and property services consultancy, said its revenue from continuing operations in the year ended April 30, 2018,…

The 2018 Tour de Yorkshire boosted the county’s economy by about £98 million, according to an economic impact study conducted by independent research company GRASP and…

Carlisle-based Stobart Group — consumed by a lengthy and ongoing boardroom battle — has unveiled proposals which it claims will “seek to unify the interests of…

The battle for control of the board at Carlisle-based aviation, energy and transport firm Stobart Group continues to rage on despite former CEO Andrew Tinkler failing narrowly…

Manchester-based Co-operative Bank announced on Monday the appointment of former Lloyds Banking Group executive Andrew Bester as its new chief executive officer. Co-operative Bank said in…

Carlisle-based aviation, energy and transport firm Stobart Group late on Friday delayed the results of its contentious AGM shareholder vote on the future of chairman Ian Ferguson. Ferguson has…

Sheffield-based affordable housebuilder and urban regeneration firm MJ Gleeson plc said in a trading update ahead of full-year results on September 17 that its Gleeson Homes division delivered its largest…

Warrington-based real estate investment trust (REIT) Assura plc, which invests in general practitioner surgery buildings and primary care centres, on Thursday published a trading update for its…

York-based housebuilder Persimmon — still under shareholder fire for excessive executive compensation — said on Thursday its revenues for the first six months of 2018 were…

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said its revenue rose 10.2% to £818.1 million in the year to March 31 and passenger numbers rose 6.7% to 58.9 million. MAG owns and…

Sainsbury’s, which agreed a £7.3 billion cash and shares takeover of Walmart’s Leeds-based subsidiary Asda in April, said on Wednesday it agreed a financing package of…

Walmart’s Leeds-based subsidiary Asda — currently preparing to be taken over by Sainsbury’s — announced on Tuesday that Rob McWilliam will return to the supermarket as…

The UK’s Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into auditor KPMG’s work for Conviviality, the Crewe-based alcohol wholesaler which owned Bargain Booze and Wine…

Warrington-based Eddie Stobart Logistics plc said it agreed to acquire The Pallet Network Group (TPN) for £52.8 million. Eddie Stobart also announced a placing with institutional…

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has acquired Leeds-based Looking4.com — the online consolidator and price comparison business — for an undisclosed sum. Looking4.com specialises in online…

The Port of Tyne returned to business growth in 2017 — two years after the end of imports of coal — and is enjoying further…

Sheffield-based European building products supplier SIG plc said it agreed to sell VJ Technology (VJT) to UK private equity investment firm Primary Capital for about £29.7 million….

Airbus, which employs more than 6,000 at its plant in Broughton, near Chester, on Friday published a risk assessment outlining the “urgent risks” to its…

Thirsk, North Yorkshire-based steel group Severfield said its revenue rose 5% to £274.2 million and underlying profit before tax soared 19% to £23.5 million in the 12 months…

Sheffield-based Benchmark Holdings, the aquaculture health, genetics and nutrition firm, said its revenue increased 9% to £75.7 million in the six months ended March 31, 2018. Adjusted…

Shares of Wakefield-based Bonmarché, the discount fashion retailer aimed at women over 50, rose about 10% after it said its profit before tax rose 38.1%…

Shares of recently-floated Rochdale youth footwear and apparel retailer Footasylum plunged almost 50% after it warned its current financial year “is likely to show more modest growth” than the…

A new report from international consulting and construction firm Mace Group claims that if Brexit happened, ‘Supercharged’ Free Ports could boost trade by nearly £12…

UPDATE 5 — Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank owner CYBG said on Monday it finally clinched an all-share deal to take over Newcastle-based rival Virgin Money in…

Manchester-headquartered international law firm DWF is considering an IPO on the London Stock Exchange that could value the firm at up to £1 billion. In response to…

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed on Friday its intention to award Siemens Mobility Limited a contract of around £1.5 billion to design and build 94…