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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Sunday newspaper round-up: Saudi oil output, Asos, 35-year mortgages

(Sharecast News) - Saudi unveiled plans at the weekend to reduce its oil output by 1m barrels per day in a surprise unilateral decision. The move was to take effect from July. The decision came as Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was due to travel to Saudi Arabia over the following week. It also followed a meeting between members marred by disagreements, although the Russian and UAE energy ministers denied talk of any split with Saudi. OPEC+ meanwhile did agree to prolong the voluntary cuts announced in April until the end of 2024. The cartel and its allies were to meet again in November and plans might change. - The Sunday Telegraph Asos received a £1bn takeover offer from Turkish rival Trendyol in late December, according to City sources. Among the Turkish outfit's backers was Chinese online retailing giant Alibaba. The offer would have valued Asos at £10-12 per share, against a closing price last Friday of £3.5. There were however no live talks and both companies declined to commit. Recently, leading credit insurers had demured from providing cover for its suppliers or reduced the same. a decision that could squeeze its cash flow. - The Sunday Times

A record proportion, or 19%, of first-time homebuyers were taking out 35-year mortgages and more in the wake of soaring costs. That was the highest share since 2005, when records began, and twice the 9% seen in December 2021. The average age of a first time buyer was now 32, according to Halifax, meaning that many persons' intention was to continue borrowing until the end of their work life and even into retirement. - The Sunday Telegraph

Sky's UK boss believes the country is entering a 'golden age' of film and television. Spend on both combined hit a record £6.2bn in 2022, which was £1.83bn more than before Covid. Furthermore, just last month ministers promised additional support as part of a strategy to add over 1m jobs in creative industries over the next decade. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

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Wednesday newspaper round-up: Post Office, Spirit AeroSystems, Flutter
(Sharecast News) - The Post Office is expected to announce the closure of dozens of branches and cut up to 1,000 head office jobs as it seeks to reduce costs to secure its financial future. There are about 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK, of which 115 are wholly centrally owned. The rest are operated by independent post office operators under contract and partners such as WH Smith and Tesco. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Bluesky, British Steel, FRC
(Sharecast News) - Social media platform Bluesky has picked up more than 700,000 new users in the week since the US election, as users seek to escape misinformation and offensive posts on X. The influx, largely from North America and the UK, has helped Bluesky reach 14.5 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Hospitality, wind generation, Vertical Aerospace
(Sharecast News) - Great Britain "lags behind" Europe on measures to restrict betting adverts, according to a report released days after official data showed a sharp increase in the number of children with a gambling problem. Restrictions on ads by bookmakers and casinos are increasingly becoming "the norm" across Europe in response to public health concerns, according to a report commissioned by GambleAware, the UK's leading gambling charity. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: AI, Bentley, News Corp
(Sharecast News) - Dozens of health and children's groups have urged ministers to tackle obesity by imposing taxes on foods containing too much salt or sugar. New levies based on the sugar tax on soft drinks would make it easier for consumers to eat more healthily by forcing food manufacturers to reformulate their products, they claim. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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