Latest news with #pre-Christmas
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Vale's Curtis gets red card and ban rescinded
Port Vale's Ronan Curtis has had his three-game ban rescinded following Saturday's straight red card against Salford 29-year-old Irishman was sent off on the final whistle by referee Thomas Kirk for 'violent conduct' in the 2-1 home win over the following a successful appeal by the League Two club for wrongful dismissal, the forward is now free to play in Saturday's lunchtime trip to managerless Tranmere a club statement, , externalVale said: "Our number 11 was sent off following the culmination of Saturday's fixture and was facing a three-game ban for what, at the time, was deemed violent conduct."Upon reviewing the evidence available to the club, we lodged an appeal to the FA which we have learnt, has been successful."Ronan will now be available for selection for our trip to Tranmere Rovers."Following a pre-Christmas slump, which saw them lose the League-Two leadership to Walsall, Darren Moore's side have won five times in a eight-game unbeaten league run since the turn of the year to sit three points shy of an automatic promotion place. Meanwhile, Vale have also announced that the local derby at promotion rivals Crewe on Saturday, 29 March has been brought forward to an earlier 12:30 BST kick-off time after being selected as a live TV game.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aussies' insane credit card spend revealed
Australians racked up an insane amount of personal credit card debt over the Christmas period, leaving many households unable to pay off their ballooning bills, new research shows. Fresh figures released by the Reserve Bank of Australia show the value of credit card transactions hit a record high of $28.1bn during December, with a massive $17.8bn now attracting interest rate charges. In total, credit card and debit card transactions amounted to more than $80bn for the month, up $882.5m on November. According to Canstar's analysis of the RBA data, debt accruing interest on personal credit cards rose by over $236m from the previous month and more than half a billion dollars from this time last year. Canstar data insight director Sally Tindall said this credit card debt incurring interest was on the rise due to pre-Christmas spending in a cost of living crisis. 'With the value of credit card transactions also hitting a record high in December, the national addiction to credit card debt is likely to get worse, before it gets better,' she said. 'If you have dug yourself into a credit card hole, it's worth getting on to it quickly. 'One of the first things to do is try and go cold turkey so you're not adding to the debt. If that means taking the scissors to the card, then so be it.' While many Australians use credit cards to gain loyalty points and other rewards, for anyone who has leftover debt they will be paying a staggering high interest rate. According to Canstar, the average credit card rate is an eye-watering 18.59 per cent, which is also the highest on record since the RBA started keeping track in 2019. Canstar warns the RBA's highly anticipated rate cut in February when the RBA is tipped to drop the cash rate from 4.35 to 4.10 per cent, is not typically passed onto credit card customers. Ms Tindall said anyone facing mounting credit card debts should sit down and come up with a plan to pay back the debt. 'If you've got a mountain of credit card debt, and a rubber arm when it comes to spending at the shops, consider getting off the revolving debt treadmill by switching your balance to a personal loan,' she said. 'This option forces you to pay the debt off in full within a set time frame, usually without the ability to add to the debt.' Alternatively Ms Tindall said customers could switch to a lower rate option, with nine providers offering at least one credit card with a purchase rate under 10 per cent. 'Another option is to switch to a zero per cent balance transfer credit card,' she said. 'These cards typically charge no interest on existing debt for up to 30 months, giving you a bit of breathing space to get your finances back on track. 'However, while balance transfer deals can seem like a white knight, they are usually full to the brim with traps that can potentially land you in more hot water if you're not across the fine print and fail to pay off the debt within the honeymoon period.'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro looks ahead to growth in 2025 as it reports higher first-quarter sales, profit
Metro chief executive Eric La Flèche said the grocer is poised for growth in 2025 as it exits what he calls a "transition year." The company raised its dividend and reported a first-quarter profit of $259.5 million, up from a profit of $228.5 million in the same quarter last year. Speaking at Metro's annual general meeting, La Flèche said Metro plans to reap the benefits of recent investments in its supply chain that wrapped up in 2024, and to continue pursuing customer loyalty after expanding its Moi rewards program last year into Ontario. "We're in a good position to pursue growth and expansion of this retail network in the years to come," he said in French. La Flèche said Metro plans to open 12 new stores in 2025, most of them being discount stores, which he said continue to see higher sales growth than conventional banners. The last year brought a "return to normalcy in food inflation," he said, but "we're still aware that things remain very expensive." The grocery and drugstore retailer says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of 37 cents per share, up from 33.5 cents per share. The increased payment to shareholders came as Metro reported a profit of $1.16 per diluted share for the 12-week period ended Dec. 21, up from 99 cents per diluted share a year earlier. Sales in the quarter totalled $5.12 billion, up from $4.97 billion in the same quarter last year. Food same-store sales were up one per cent compared with a year earlier and up 2.4 per cent after adjusting for a shift of two significant pre-Christmas shopping days to the second quarter. Pharmacy same-store sales were up 5.1 per cent with a 7.3 per cent increase in prescription drugs. Front-store same-store sales were up 0.5 per cent compared with a year ago and up 1.9 per cent after adjusting for the Christmas shift. On adjusted basis, Metro says it earned $1.10 per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.02 per diluted share in the same quarter last year. "We are pleased with our first-quarter results which were driven by solid revenue growth and good expense control," La Flèche said in a statement. "Our commercial programs continue to resonate with customers, aided by the successful launch of our Moi Rewards program in Ontario this fall, leading to increased traffic and tonnage." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:MRU) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dr Martens' new boss hails ‘progress' on turnaround plans as losses ease
Dr Martens saw a partial recovery in sales over the Christmas period, with the footwear brand saying it is making progress in turning around its struggling US business. The company, whose yellow-stitched boots have been a retro mainstay for decades, has been in the doldrums in recent years, with declining revenues exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. It listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2021, and has since issued a slew of profit warnings and replaced its chief executive. But the company went some way to stemming the losses in the three months to December 29, which included the vital pre-Christmas trading period. Turnover still fell 3% compared with the same period last year – but that eased from an 18% slump in the previous quarter. Many of Dr Martens' recent problems have come from steep declines in sales in the US, but new chief executive Ije Nwokorie said it is making 'good progress' on its turnaround in the region. The Northamptonshire-based company's US revenue over the festive quarter fell 4% year on year, compared with 20% in the previous quarter. Falls in European revenue also eased, from 18% in the previous quarter to 4% most recently. Dr Martens expects overall turnover for the full year to be down 9% compared with the previous year, at £599 million. Mr Nwokorie, previously the firm's head of marketing, took the top job from Kenny Wilson on January 6. He has the task of reversing its fortunes despite an 84% plummet in its share price since its previous owner, US investment firm Permira, floated it on the public markets four years ago. Despite the recent troubles, Mr Nwokorie said he has 'great confidence' for the year ahead. He added that plans to reduce excess stock are 'on track' and that the company continues to 'actively manage our costs'. He said: 'The team and I are squarely focused on returning the business to sustainable and profitable growth.'
