
Moody's raises Southern Water's outlook after Macquarie's $1.63 billion boost
Moody's also confirmed Southern Water's rating at 'Ba1'.
The firm's bonds were up on Thursday, adding to the sharp jump they saw after a consortium led by Macquarie Asset Management agreed to inject up to 1.2 billion pounds ($1.64 billion) in Southern Water on Tuesday.
While the utility faces performance penalties from Britain's water regulator and potential cost overruns, the equity injection provides Southern Water with enough buffer to maintain its credit quality, Moody's said in a report.
($1 = 0.7331 pounds)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Asda launches huge homeware and clothing sale with prices from just 42p
ASDA has kicked off a massive sale, with household essentials and clothing starting at just 42p. The budget-friendly supermarket is offering discounts on a wide range of homeware, electronics and toys. 3 Asda's Brown Super Soft Cotton Towel & Bath Mat Range is now available at George's from just £0.42, down from £0.85. Also on offer is a Disney Stitch Blue Fleece Blanket, now reduced from £5 to £3.47. One shopper shared their find in the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK. They wrote: "Not sure if anyone has posted yet but Asda has a really good sale in store and online. "Most things reduced to £5. Loads of stitch things, loads of pyjama sets for children and adults. "I think it's one of the better Asda sales I've seen in a while, especially on clothes. "This was the one at Crown point in Leeds." Asda's first standalone George store opened on May 10 in Leeds, replacing the former Asda Living site at Crown Point Retail Park. The new store features a wide range of fashion, homeware, toys and baby essentials, along with a new café for shoppers. There are currently 30 Asda Living stores across the UK. Sainsbury's scraps in-store changing rooms leaving shoppers furious Bosses are expected to decide later this year whether to expand the George format following further trials. George was launched in 1989 through a partnership between fashion designer George Davies and Asda, becoming the UK's first supermarket clothing brand. By 2004, it had become the country's biggest clothing retailer, prompting Asda to open Living stores to branch into homeware. Today, George is stocked in 560 Asda stores and attracts 260 million visits annually to its website. It comes as another savvy shopper took to social media to share Asda's in-store George Baby & Kids Clothing sale, with items slashed by 50 percent. The retailer has also rolled out discounts on children's clothing for ages up to 14. Beyond fashion, Asda has knocked up to 40 percent off selected garden furniture for the summer. Its viral rattan egg chair is among the items on the list.


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
EDF to spend estimated $7 billion on extending life of nuclear plants
PARIS, July 3 (Reuters) - French utility EDF expects to spend 6 billion euros ($7.05 billion) on extending the life of 20 of its nuclear reactors, it said on Thursday, after getting the go-ahead from the country's nuclear regulator. The ASN said that state-owned EDF could proceed with upgrading safety standards at its 1300MW reactors so they could operate beyond their original 40-year lifespan. Raising the safety standards to match those of newer European Pressurised Reactor models would cost an estimated 6 billion euros, said EDF in a statement, adding that preparatory work on the first of the reactors had already begun last year. French President Emmanuel Macron has made expanding the country's nuclear production capability a flagship project, both by extending the lifetimes of existing sites and building at least six new reactors in coming decades. The plans come at a difficult time for heavily indebted EDF, which has faced project delays, budget overruns on new plants and defects in some reactors. They also come as the cash-strapped French government tries to push a budget with 40 billion euros in savings through a divided parliament. The state already stumped up around 10 billion euros to nationalise EDF in 2023. However, CEO Bernard Fontana, appointed earlier this year, has been tasked with jumpstarting the nuclear ramp-up and is currently seeking ways to bring in money to finance upgrades and new builds, including possible asset sales. The regulator said it will issue specific safety requirements for each reactor during its 40-year inspection. Additionally, EDF will be required to provide annual reports detailing its progress in meeting these conditions. The decision concerns 20 reactors out of the country's 56-strong fleet, which will reach their currently approved lifespan between 2026 and 2040. The regulator previously approved extensions for EDF's 32 smaller 900MW reactors. ($1 = 0.8516 euros)


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Rachel Reeves' defiant message following tears in Commons
The Prime Minister and Chancellor presented a united front to calm financial markets following a tumultuous week marked by the Chancellor's visible distress in the Commons. Market instability arose after the Prime Minister initially declined to guarantee the Chancellor's job security during Prime Minister's Questions, where she appeared visibly upset. The Prime Minister later publicly affirmed the Chancellor's position, which helped to stabilise UK government bonds and the pound. Appearing together at the launch of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, the Chancellor clarified that her earlier tears were due to a "personal issue" and not related to her role. Rachel Reeves explained she is 'just cracking on with the job', as well as reiterating her goal to boost the UK economy and share positive policy announcements.