Business

Walmart CEO Doug McMillan joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss his retirement, inflation pressures, tariffs, AI-driven growth and the future of America’s largest retailer. Walmart posted solid fourth-quarter results Thursday as shoppers continued prioritizing value and convenience, helping push online sales to a record share of the retailer’s business. The company reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $190.7 billion, up 5.6% from a year earlier. U.S. comparable sales rose 4.6%, driven by a 2.6% increase in transactions and a 2% increase in the average amount shoppers spent per visit.Grocery prices were up just 0.6% from a year earlier, with some categories — including eggs and dairy — seeing price declines. AMAZON PHARMACY TO EXPAND SAME-DAY PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY TO 4,500 US ...

Eligible households are being urged to make a phone call by the end of next week to claim a £150 discount off their energy bills.The discount comes as part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Warm Home Discount Scheme, which provides low-income homes with £150 off their electricity bill. The discount is applied to bills automatically by energy suppliers taking part in the scheme, rather than being paid straight into your bank account, and it’s available to households in England, Wales and Scotland. Most people who qualify should have received a letter between late October 2025 and early January 2026 confirming their eligibility. If you haven’t received your letter and think you’re eligible, or need to provide more information, you need to call the helpline by ne...

Co-op will roll out "flexi checkouts" that can be operated by cashiers or customers at 150 stores. The dual screens will switch between self-service and cashier mode, the supermarket said, ensuring that till points are "open all hours".It aims to roll out the technology across 150 of its stores by April, following trials that showed they can reduce wait times and queues. It said the technology also enables colleagues to assist more customers and help with enquiries. The digital screens will show customers their price savings, deals and promotions, and support parcel collection services.David Tyas, Co-op’s head of operations support centre and innovation, said: “We’re focused on creating stores which contribute to local life and conveniently meet the needs of communities."We know that ma...

HMRC has issued a warning to some Britons earning £50,000 or more. In a post on X conciding with Shrove Tuesday (otherwise known as "pancake day") HMRC reminded some taxpayers that the way they file their tax returns will change considerably this year, as it moves to an all-digital tax system.The post read: "Bite-size updates beat big stacks. With Making Tax Digital, you’ll send simple quarterly summaries using recognised software, then one annual return that pulls in the info you’ve shared across the year. If your combined turnover from self-employment and property is over £50,000, flip your routine to little-and-often now." Britons with combined gross income from sole trades and property that exceeds £50k in the 2024/25 tax year will need to sign up to Making Tax Digital (MTD) for inc...

Huge UK energy company on brink of administration after £60m loan (Image: Getty)A huge energy firm that just secured a £60million taxpayer-backed loan is preparing to appoint administrators. Hive Energy, a solar energy firm, was awarded the loan to ramp up its solar projects across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South America and Africa less than four months ago.It was announced last November at the UN’s COP30 climate conference and was backed by Tim Reid, the chief executive of the UK Export Finance Agency (UKEF), who said he was "proud" to support British businesses such as Hive. However, this week Hive issued a “notice of intention to appoint administrators” with law firm DLA Piper as its legal advisors, reports The Times. Read more: UK engineering company tumbles into admini...

Chaque pays, chaque corporation décerne ses distinctions, Légion d’honneur, ordre de la Jarretière ou confrérie des chevaliers du Tastevin. A Wall Street, la reconnaissance suprême prend la forme d’un ordre d’achat émanant de Berkshire Hathaway, la holding de l’investisseur légendaire Warren Buffett, 95 ans. Devant le siège du « New York Times », à New York, le 22 janvier 2026. ANGELA WEISS/AFP Les comptes de Berkshire Hathaway ayant révélé que la société d’investissement avait acquis en Bourse, entre septembre et décembre 2025, quelque 3 % du New York Times (NYT), l’action du groupe de presse s’est emballée, mercredi 18 février, pour atteindre un plus haut historique. Et chacun de se demander si cette mise, valorisée 350 millions d...

Enfield was the smallest area in the country with a benefits bill of over £1 billion (Image: Getty)A UK borough has been revealed as the welfare capital of Britain, with a higher rate of benefit claims than anywhere else in the country. Enfield, in north London, one of the most deprived parts of Britain, ranks top of the list for benefit claimants - with £3,868 spent per person of working age in 2024/25. Analysis conducted by shadow minister Neil O'Brien, using official data for Universal Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independent Payments and working-age housing benefits, found that Enfield was the smallest borough with a benefits bill over £1 billion.The borough has previously been named as the seventh-worst funded local authority area by the Institute of Fiscal Studies...

The UK Government has issued an alert, calling on many people born before 2012 to claim pots of cash.An update on Thursday from the official GOV.UK X account explains that more than 750,000 people have yet to claim what is rightfully theirs.The post reads: "If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, you might have money saved in a Child Trust Fund." It adds: "More than 750k young adults are missing out on an average of £2.2k each in their Child Trust Fund account".Child Trust Funds are long-term tax-free savings accounts set up for every child born between September 1, 2002, and January 2, 2011.The scheme was set up by a former Labour administration, and the government contributed £250 for each eligible child, with parents and caregivers then able to top up the accoun...

Everyone should check whether recent pension changes affect them (Image: Getty) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more There’s a small but significant pension detail that’s easy to overlook, and 2026 marks a critical window to check whether it applies to you. Most people can’t access their private pensions until age 55, but this minimum age is rising to 57 on April 6, 2028. The change will affect people born after April 6, 1971. However, some savers have a special right to take their pension earlier, regardless, and this is known as the protected pension age (PPA).A protected pension age allows you to access certain pension benefits before the  normal minimum pension age (NMPA). In many cases, this protection sits...

Households relying on ageing electricity meters have been told to act now or risk losing heating and hot water.Energy regulator Ofgem has issued an urgent alert to around 100,000 remaining homes still using Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters, warning that the signal which controls them is being switched off.In a social media post, the watchdog said: “The signal to Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters is being switched off."All remaining RTS meters will be phased out this year."If you have one, contact your energy supplier now to book a replacement and avoid the risk of losing heating and/or hot water.”What is happening?The technology that supports RTS electricity meters is being switched off in stages, area by area, from June last year.Without the signal telling them when to switch between ...