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00:00Good morning and welcome to the latest Business Brief on Friday the 23rd of May.
00:05Household energy bills will fall by 7% from July.
00:09Ofgems confirm the typical bill will drop by £129 to £1,720 per year.
00:15That's £660 lower than at the height of the energy crisis in 2023.
00:21However, prices remain elevated £152 higher than the same period last year.
00:27The UK's private sector continued to shrink this month, but at a slower pace than in April.
00:32The latest reading rose to 49.4, just below the 50 mark that signals growth.
00:38Economists say easing US tariffs may be boosting business confidence.
00:42Separate research indicates consumer confidence increased in May too.
00:46Warhammer maker Games Workshop says pre-tax profits will hit at least £250 million this year, up from £203 million last year.
00:55Core revenue is expected to reach over £560 million, with record licensing income of £50 million also boosting results, possibly thanks to their big deal with Amazon.
01:06Asura has adjourned a key shareholder vote on a takeover offer from a private equity group.
01:10The healthcare property firm wants more time to review a rival cash and shares bid from PHP.
01:16Its board says it's still evaluating the new proposal and has told shareholders not to take any action for now.
01:21Investment platform AJ Bell has reported interim results featuring a leap in revenue and increased profits.
01:28They've also reported strong customer growth.
01:31Andy Bell, who founded the business with £10,000, featured in the latest Sunday Times rich list after an increase in his estimated fortune.
01:40Shares in Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury plunged yesterday after annual profits fell 22%.
01:44The firm sold more books but saw slower growth, with bosses blaming a return to normal after last year's record sales.
01:52It expects a stronger year ahead, with new releases from Sarah J Maas and Gillian Anderson.
01:58And the owner of Toby Carvery and All Bar One, Mitchells & Butler's, saw sales hit £1.5 billion in the 28 weeks to April.
02:05That's up 4.3% on last year, with pubgoers spending more, especially on drinks.
02:11But the firm warned of rising costs ahead, including higher wages and meat prices.
02:16That's all for today. More next week.