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MSFT
Microsoft
422.79
0.6020%
AAPL
Apple
270.23
2.5930%
GOOGL
Google
341.68
1.6844%
AMZN
Amazon
250.56
0.3444%
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
234.18
-0.1535%
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JP Morgan Chase
310.29
0.1097%
Market Analysis: Kering (Gucci), Lvmh (Louis Vuitton), Tesco
Market Analysis text across a b&w screen of economic data
Kering (Gucci): A buzzing show has yet to translate into a meaningful recovery in sales; questions remain around innovation in core categories. LVMH (Louis Vuitton): Reliance on logos is driving consumer fatigue – risk of pricing out aspirational consumers.
12:00 AM 18th April 2026
Disciplined Performance And Continued Strategic Progress, Positioning Vp For Long-Term Growth
Vp, Rainham, Essex
Vp plc, the specialist equipment rental business, issuesd a trading update for the financial year ended 31 March 2026 (“FY26”). In a challenging macroeconomic environment, Vp expects to report FY26 profits between £26-29m, in line with previous revised guidance. The business has maintained operational and financial discipline and continues to progress its strategic priorities.
12:00 AM 18th April 2026
Property & construction
Developer Shares Vision For New Community Of Homes In Amble
Tantallon Parks in Amble (for illustrative purposes only)
Amble is set to benefit from 480 new homes, supporting the area’s growth opportunities and demand for quality housing. A North East developer is behind the plans for ‘Tantallon Parks’, which will offer one-bedroom apartments right up to five-bedroom homes, and everything in between. Tantallon Homes is delivering the scheme, following completion of several sold-out developments in the region.
12:00 AM 18th April 2026
Community Foundation Fund Launched To Support Charities And Community Projects
Over the past decade, EN:Communities has awarded £1.4m in funding to small charities and supported 127 community projects
A new £250,000 capital grants programme will give charities and community groups across Yorkshire and Humber, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire the opportunity to secure funding for projects that aim to reduce poverty and promote healthy living.
12:00 AM 18th April 2026
The Solution To Sign Blindness
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
Group Editor Andrew Palmer discovers how a simple entrepreneurial innovation is causing a revolution not only in the quality, health and safety sector but has many more ingenious applications.
P.ublished 18th April 2026
Northern Talent Tracker: This Week's Key Appointments
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Sharna Poxon, HR Director
A local success story is unfolding in Sheffield as Rotherham-born Craig Cannings steps up to lead B. Braun UK as Managing Director. Mr Cannings, a central figure at the healthcare firm since 2010, succeeds Michael Parden, who has transitioned to the role of CEO for the group's North American operations.
P.ublished 17th April 2026
Fragile Economic Recovery Threatened By Middle East Conflict
Image by Tamim Ahmed from Pixabay
Fresh data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the UK economy grew by 0.5% in February 2026, suggesting a firmer footing at the start of the year. However, business leaders and economists warn that this momentum is under significant threat from escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising operational costs.
P.ublished 17th April 2026
Entries Open For Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards As New Generation Reshapes Sector’s Image
2025 winners
Entries have opened for this year’s Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, with manufacturing and engineering employers across West Yorkshire being encouraged to put forward their most promising young talent at a time when a new generation is helping to redefine the industry’s image.
P.ublished 17th April 2026
Teesside Gaming Firms Target Global Giants With US Export Drive
Work at Radical Forge
A consortium of Teesside’s digital firms has secured high-level talks with global technology giants, including Netflix and Microsoft, following a trade mission to the United States. Supported by the Tees Valley Export Fund, leaders from Radical Forge, Tanglewood Games, Cardboard Sword, and Observer Interactive attended the Games Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
P.ublished 17th April 2026
Opinion
Market Update: FTSE Strides Higher After Improved UK Economic Report Card
FTSE on the front foot in early trade following improved UK economic report card. Wall Street stocks set to reach fresh highs as hot rally continues on hopes of Iran ceasefire holding. Retailers and housebuilders lead early gains. Tesco shares climb after strong sales and market share growth.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Azets Backs Leeds Initiative To Combat Climate-Driven Flood Risk
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
L-R: The ARC team Philip Blaen (ARC Director representing Yorkshire Water), Gema Gacia (ARC Programme Team and Group Engineer at Leeds City Council), Georgina Mitchell (ARC Chairperson and Director), Mark Garford (ARC Programme Team and Principal Engineer at Leeds City Council) and Jonathan Moxon - ARC Director representing Leeds City Council
Azets, the accountancy and business advisory firm, has been appointed as the inaugural finance partner for a pioneering community project designed to protect Leeds from future flooding. The firm’s Leeds office will provide outsourced financial management and company secretarial support to the Aire Resilience Company (ARC).
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Sheffield Tech Firm Launches ‘Quantum-Proof’ Device For Critical Infrastructure
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Co-founders Melissa Chambers and Ben Harper
Sitehop, the Sheffield-based cybersecurity specialist, has unveiled the world’s smallest post-quantum encryption device, designed to protect critical national infrastructure from next-generation cyber threats. The pocket-sized device, SAFEcore Edge, is engineered and manufactured in the North of England.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Property & construction
Freeths Supports Glenbrook As It Completes Flagship Build To Rent Scheme In Leeds
Stephen Lewis
Law firm Freeths has supported tier one residential property developer Glenbrook from acquisition through to completion of a 500-home build-to-rent (BTR) development at Whitehall Riverside in Leeds city centre.
P.ublished 17th April 2026
Property & construction
Beal Homes Breaks Ground On £120m Kingswood Residential Scheme
Construction Director Andy Devine, left, and Sales and Marketing Director Ross Clarkson look at plans for the £120m King’s Crescent development in Hull. Pictures: R&R Studio.
Beal Homes has commenced infrastructure works on a 52-acre site in Hull, marking the start of a £120m residential development that will further expand the popular Kingswood community. The East Yorkshire-based housebuilder has moved on-site to begin the construction of roads and sewage systems for the project, named King’s Crescent.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Grimsby Fish Market Trio Head To Barcelona For Huge Seafood Expo With Expansion Plans Outlined
Grimsby Fish Market will be well represented at the world’s largest seafood event this month. Fresh from celebrating 30 years of the modernised facility, the operating group’s incoming chief executive, Andrew Oliver, operations director Danny Payne and sales director Nelson Hunter will be hitting the exhibition halls in Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Cyber Security Expert Warns UK Firms Face “Perfect Storm” In Next 100 Days
With the first 100 days of the year now passed, a cyber-security expert has warned that UK businesses are heading into a “perfect storm” of tighter regulation, economic pressure and escalating cyber threats.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Farsley’s Sunny Bank Mills Secures £243k For Industrial Innovation Project
Sunny Bank Mills, the historic textile complex in Farsley, has been awarded a £243,449 heritage grant to launch a three-year research and digitisation programme. The project, named Dyevolution, will focus on a "hidden treasure" within the mill’s archive: six hand-bound dye ledgers dating from 1888 to 1908.
P.ublished 16th April 2026
Speed Networking Event Gives Yorkshire Small Businesses A Seat At The Table With Journalists
Business owners got a rare chance to share their stories with top regional journalists at a recent sell-out speed networking event in Yorkshire. Organised by York PR experts Jo Leatham and Linda Harrison, Meet The Media brought together a diverse range of businesses to help demystify PR.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Darlington Building Society Grows Profits In Milestone Year
Chief Executive Andrew Craddock
DARLINGTON Building Society has had a record-breaking year for helping people onto the property ladder despite the continuing challenges of a volatile economic climate. The Society, which celebrates its 170th anniversary this year, achieved gross new lending of £234m in 2025 – its highest ever figure and a 58% increase on the previous year.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
LCM Environmental Strengthens Growth With Acquisition
LCM Environmental has announced the acquisition of Octane Holding Group Limited and Octane Draincare Limited, further strengthening its service capability and wider market presence.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Freeths Advises Twenty20 Capital On Sale Of Halian Group To NES Fircroft
Dahren Naidoo, Freeths Corporate Partner
Freeths has advised Twenty20 Capital and Stuart Fry, the sellers of Halian Group, on its sale to global workforce solutions specialist NES Fircroft. Halian Group is a specialist provider of IT and digital transformation services, workforce solutions and managed services, with operations across Europe, the Middle East and the US.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
‘Always On’ Culture Leaves Self-Employed Workers At Risk Of Burnout
Image by Alltechbuzz_net from Pixabay
Stress Awareness Month in April is a timely reminder that while self-employment offers benefits such as flexibility, it can also carry a growing psychological cost. A recent study by Markel Direct, small business insurance specialists, asked 1,000 UK small business owners and sole traders to share their experience on work-life balance and the hidden costs of being their own boss.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Covéa Insurance More Than Doubles Annual Profit In 2025
Covéa Insurance has reported a significant surge in profitability for the 2025 financial year, with profit after tax reaching £72.4m compared to £32.9m the previous year. The results demonstrate a sharp rise in operational efficiency despite a slight dip in gross written premiums, which moved from £641.5m to £616.8m over the twelve-month period.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Pannone Corporate Advises The Sleep Group On Acquisition Of Wow Sleep
Pannone Corporate has advised on the acquisition of Wow Sleep by H.I.G Capital-backed bed and mattress company, The Sleep Group. The Manchester law firm acted as legal adviser to The Sleep Group, which owns brands Silentnight Group and Sleepeezee. It is estimated that one in five beds sold in the UK is a Sleep Group brand.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
From Labourer To Manager: Josh Hall’s Rise At Mulgrave
Josh Hall, 27, has been appointed Site Manager for a high-profile luxury development in York, marking a rapid ascent through the ranks of regional housebuilder Mulgrave. Hailing from Pocklington, Hall joined the firm as a labourer just seven years ago.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Market Update: Cautious Start For Footsie Amid Hopes For Fresh Iran Talks
FTSE 100 opens slightly higher as oil prices retreat. Brent crude hovers around $98 a barrel, falling back amid hopes for new talks. BP forecasts an exceptional period for its trading division in the first quarter. UK shoppers show signs of resilience after March retail sales beat expectations.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Five Cashflow Management Tips For SMEs: Monitor And Manage Work In Progress
Matthew Grant, Azets
Businesses are being urged to meticulously track the heartbeat of work in progress throughout its lifecycle. Monitoring, managing and making changes to reduce mission creep, improve efficiencies and maximise cashflow are critical steps which can improve a business’ health and growth prospects, according to a senior finance professional.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
DJH Boosts Its Growing Presence In Liverpool With SB&P Acquisition
L-R: Scott Heath, James Beardmore (both DJH), Suzanne Draper, Rob Young and Wendy McNulty (all SB&P)
DJH has reinforced its commitment to Liverpool’s thriving business community by acquiring a well-respected local practice. The top 30 UK accountancy firm has acquired SB&P in Bootle, increasing its presence to six offices across the city centre, Ellesmere Port and the Wirral.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
£2.5 Million Project To Restore Historic Heapstead Structures At Woodhorn Museum
L-R: Michael Kelly, site manager at Compass Developments, council leader, Glen Sanderson, Northumberland County Council, Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager for North East Museums, Ian Simpson, director at Compass Developments
Cramlington-based, Compass Developments has been appointed as principal contractor for the restoration of Woodhorn Museum’s historic Heapstead structures.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Tunley Environmental To Mark Earth Day With CPD-Certified Webinar
To coincide with Earth Day 2026, sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental is hosting a free CPD-certified webinar titled “Climate Risk Assessments and Resilience Planning for Business”, designed to help organisations move from climate awareness to meaningful, strategic action.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Yorkshire Supply Specialist Secures Seven-Figure Contract With Bolton Council
Following a competitive tendering process, York-based supply specialist PPS has been awarded a seven-figure contract with Bolton Council for the supply and delivery of chemicals and consumable goods for services across schools. The three-year agreement will see PPS responsible for supplying a comprehensive range of cleaning and hygiene products to approximately 90 schools across the borough.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Global Autocare (Global) Accelerates Into Next Growth Phase As LDC Exits Successful Partnership
UK private equity investor, LDC has exited its minority investment in Global Autocare (Global), with the executive management team taking the business forward as it enters its next phase of growth.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Permanent Placements Rise For Second Month In A Row Across The North Of England
The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey continued to show divergent hiring trends in March, as sustained growth in permanent placements contrasted with a further fall in temp billings. Vacancies meanwhile increased for both types of roles, with rates of growth also improving from February.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
HARIBO Joins Yorkshire Business Leaders For Martin House Partnerships Event
A panel of Yorkshire’s business leaders will join Martin House Children’s Hospice this month to talk about the benefits of charity partnerships. The Power of Partnerships business breakfast takes place at the historic York Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Thursday 23 April.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
10 In 10: John Dunnill
John Dunnill, chief technology officer and co-founder at Workprove, is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as we give him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions. 1. What does a typical working day for you involve? Coffee first, always. Then more coffee. I usually listen to audiobooks on the drive in.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Yorkshire Engineering Firm To Launch Combat Robotics At NEC Summit
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Accu, the Huddersfield-based precision engineering supplier, is to headline a major combat robotics tournament at Smart Manufacturing Week this June. The event, titled FightFest, will see high-intensity, one-on-one robotic battles take place at Birmingham’s NEC.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Leeds Drives England’s Full-Time Employment Surge As Employment Hero Partners With Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos Managing Director Rob Oates
Full-time employment across the UK is growing nearly three times faster than part-time work, according to new data from Employment Hero, a global leader in HR, hiring and payroll software.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
AI Innovation And Regional Growth Take Centre Stage As Leeds Digital Festival Enters A New Era
Deb Hetherington, Festival Director
Leeds Digital Festival returns this month with its Mini-Fest from 21-23 April to support skills development and growth. This year’s small but mighty event will explore how the rapid surge in AI and data science is fundamentally reshaping the Northern job market. It is creating high-value career pathways and cementing Leeds’ status as a premier global tech hub.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Yorkshire AI Firm IntelliAM Expands Into Scotland With Acquisition
UK AI software firm IntelliAM AI plc has acquired the business and assets of Scotland-based RBM Lubrications & Monitoring Solutions Ltd (RBM Lubrications), strengthening its operational capabilities and presence in the central belt of Scotland.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Property & construction
Clegg Construction To Deliver Game-Changing Leeds Office Building
Clegg Construction is “proud and honoured” to be delivering the most significant new office building in Leeds. The Nottingham-based company is the main contractor for 31 Wellington Street, which comprises 80,000 sq ft of prime office space, a sky lounge, terrace, events space and fitness and gym facilities.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Opinion
New UK Steel Tariff Will ‘Jeopardise Manufacturing’ And Make Domestic Fabrication Unsustainable’ Says Tadweld MD
The Managing Director of Tadweld, a Yorkshire-based steelwork manufacturer, has issued a warning that new UK steel tariff measures risk devastating the UK steelwork sector, threatening jobs, businesses and the long-term future of British industry.
P.ublished 11th April 2026
Wilkin Chapman Rollits Launches AI-Driven HR Platform
Law firm Wilkin Chapman Rollits has launched a new HR platform combining artificial intelligence with advice from the firm’s employment lawyers. The service, named Adaptive HR, is among the first in the UK to integrate AI case management with solicitor validation and insurance-backed protection.
P.ublished 11th April 2026
How To Make A Strong Case For A Promotion Or Pay Rise
Ian Garner
Business Writer
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Career advancement seldom happens by chance. Although working diligently is crucial, promotions and pay rises are most often achieved by employees who can clearly showcase their worth and initiate strategic, well-prepared discussions with their managers.
P.ublished 11th April 2026
Sheffield Forgemasters Celebrates 90 Years Of Spitfire
Vickers-Armstrong’s Supermarine Spitfire marks 90 years since its maiden flight
Historic steel giant, Sheffield Forgemasters, is celebrating 90 years since the first Spitfire aircraft took to the skies thanks to its predecessor, Vickers-Armstrong Ltd.
P.ublished 11th April 2026
Why Most Stress Advice Doesn’t Work And What Actually Does
As April marks Stress Awareness Month, Dr Claire Kaye offers insight into why so many capable, high-functioning women are drowning in stress advice yet still struggling, and shares what actually makes a difference.
P.ublished 11th April 2026
Pontefract Ice Manufacturer Named Among UK’s Best Workplaces
Polly Metcalfe
The Ice Co, the Pontefract-based manufacturer, has been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces 2026 by the global authority Great Place To Work. The family-run business, which operates one of the largest ice production facilities in Europe, ranked 98th in the medium-sized category.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
Northern Talent Tracker: This Week's Key Appointments
The Yorkshire-headquartered law firm Switalskis has strengthened its leadership board with three director promotions, underscoring its transition into a national legal player. Georgina Peckett, Katrina Elsey, and Julie Guest have been elevated to the board, reflecting the firm’s investment in specialist areas such as medical negligence and serious injury.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
IoD: Little Evidence Of Government Taking Heed Of Business Concerns On Trade Union Access
The government's response to the ‘Make Work Pay: Trade Union Right of Access’ consultation represents a missed opportunity for the government to make the Employment Rights Act more workable for employers.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
Property & construction
HBC Completes Restoration Of Historic University Of Huddersfield Building
HBC Construction Limited (HBC), formerly known as Henry Boot Construction, has completed the £10m restoration of the Grade II-listed Ramsden Building at the University of Huddersfield. Located on Queensgate in Huddersfield town centre, Ramsden is one of the town’s most architecturally significant and historically important buildings.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
Leeds Credit Union Saves Families £2.3m In Record Quarter
Leeds Credit Union (LCU) has reported a record start to 2026, underwriting £3 million in lending during the first quarter as the Government moves to overhaul the community finance sector. The social lender, which serves one of the UK’s fastest-growing business hubs, issued £1.2 million in loans in March alone.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
Markets Update: Crude Rises Amid Iran Ceasefire Concerns, Causing Jitters
Brent crude has headed back above $97 a barrel. Israel’s strikes on Lebanon have sparked accusations of a violation of ceasefire terms. Jitters hit equity markets, with London’s FTSE 100 struggling to hang onto gains. Diesel prices hit £1.90 a litre and £2 a litre at some motorway service stations.
P.ublished 9th April 2026
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