10 The Sunday Times October 18, 2020 BUSINESS Liam Kelly DANIEL LYNCH BMF’s latest accounts, may company that listed on AIM Stewart. Last week, Pinsents Bear’s military coup be a little less pumped up. before its founder and scored a victory as a High FUNNY BUSINESS production boss both Court judge threw out the vanished without trace — bulk of Naibu’s claims. But squeezes creditors Czech Sphinx’s along with £150m of Naibu’s lawyer, Ian Baker of shareholders’ funds. PGB Gitlin Baker, says it will While the pandemic has Etonian Grylls — a devout money furnace Naibu claimed to be seek permission to appeal. encouraged many to get Christian who promotes the While most people were China’s 10th-biggest This Chinese riddle is far outdoors, Prufrock fears it is Alpha Course and is also the glued to their TV screens on sportswear brand. Its 2012 from over yet. not helping Bear Grylls. chief scout — and investment March 23 as Boris Johnson float came as David Cameron The television adventurer, house NM Capital in 2018. told the nation to stay at sought to build a “golden 46, co-owns Be Military Fit, It has become a key part of home, Daniel Kretinsky went era” of Sino-British relations. Let’s find a City an exercise-class provider Bear Grylls Ventures, his shopping that day. How times have changed. where former squaddies put investment vehicle, which The Czech energy Naibu delisted in 2015 and lunch loophole customers through their also produces his TV series billionaire followed his first since then its English With millions banned from paces in parks. and books. purchase of Royal Mail shares directors have been suing the going to bars or restaurants Though it would appear BMF insists that there is (he has since become its float advisers: law firm with anyone outside their perfectly suited to the times, nothing to see here. The CVA biggest shareholder) with a Pinsent Masons and the now- households, savvy types are BMF, formerly known as is “part of a comprehensive deal to buy Humbly Grove, defunct stockbroker Daniel eyeing loopholes to avoid a British Military Fitness, is restructuring of the an underground gas storage long winter shorn of breaking limbering up for a company business” that will see it shift facility in Hampshire. bread with contacts. voluntary arrangement to a franchise model. However, the tycoon — One of Prufrock’s regular (CVA). This is a form of Muscle-bound instructors dubbed the “Czech Sphinx” dining companions suggests insolvency that is more will now be able to run their for his inscrutability — has several options to honour an frequently used by basket- own businesses, and nobody not fared as well in his energy imminent breakfast date: TWITTER POLL case retailers to reduce their will lose their jobs, it says. ventures as he has with his “1. Get married; 2. I adopt Good Bad bills to creditors. Creditors, who were owed stake in Royal Mail. you; 3. You declare me BMF was bought by Old £1.6m in 2018, according to Fatigued: Bear Grylls’ BMF is preparing for insolvency New accounts for his EP as your official carer UK Investments vehicle show (providing therapy for acute 18% 82% 6 In a roundabout way, Britons’ online shopping habits have that while sales edged up to agoraphobia); 4. We create an unexpected beneficiary: French taxpayers. After a bumper JUST SAYING . £8.8m, it swung to a £3.3m a new religious order.” 2019, with sales breaching £1bn for the first time, parcel loss last year. True to form, On second thoughts, it is delivery service DPD has paid a whopping £103m dividend to when Prufrock contacts his “probably too extreme to its French parent, which is wholly owned by the state postal Lockdowns, curfews and constantly PR man for more details, find a way to get a cooked service La Poste. Pre-tax profits dipped slightly to £135m last changing regulations . threaten reply comes there none. breakfast”, he adds. year for the British subsidiary after it racked up extra costs, If anyone has got a more according to the accounts. not only pub companies, but the inventive way of keeping the The Bank of England has With the coronavirus crisis sparking a boom in parcel entire economy A tarnished relic gastronomic show on the asked the City if it is ready delivery, you wouldn’t bet against even better figures next road, please get in touch via for an interest rate cut. year. If post-Brexit trade talks about fishing continue to Wetherspoons founder Tim Martin of the golden era the usual channels. Would negative interest founder, perhaps ministers ought to mention the generous lashes out at Covid-19 restrictions after Remember Naibu Global? It liam.kelly@ rates be good or bad for the donations of the great British consumer to Parisian coffers. his pub chain fell to a £105m loss was the Chinese sportswear Energy loss: Daniel Kretinsky sunday-times.co.uk economy? @ST_Business DATABANK INSIDE THE CITY SABAH MEDDINGS THE WEEK IN THE MARKETS THE ECONOMY Consumer prices index current rate prev. month FTSE 100 FTSE 100 DOLLAR 0.2% 1% offering services to those who a year earlier. At the same USD > GBP CPI including housing current rate prev. month Don’t bet can afford to escape long NHS time, it revealed that it had 8,000 waiting lists. It swung to a seen 120,000 patients under $1.29 0.5% 1.1% profit last year and the the contract with the NHS. V 0.01 on this 7,000 12-month high: $1.34 Retail prices index current rate prev. month proportion of its hospitals Spire is hoping that self- low: $1.15 rated “good” or pay patients, who are 0.8% 1.9% EURO “outstanding” rose to 90%, typically older and blessed 5,919.58 Average weekly earnings on prev. month on last year patient’s 6,000 EUR > GBP up from 67% three years ago. with more disposable 97.07 H: 7,674.6 £550 U 2.2% U 1.9% Spire has been a disaster income, will be less badly hit 1.61% L: 4,993.9 Unemployment current rate prev. month recovery for investors in the past. The by recession than those 5,000 €1.10 FTSE 250 W 0.00 shares are 47% below the forced to rely on the NHS. 12-month high: €1.20 1.52m 4.5% 4.3% 2019 2020 low: €1.06 As the pandemic took hold, price at which former private However, there is the danger Source: Thomson Reuters Eikon Manufacturing output on the year on last month the unprecedented equity owner Cinven floated that people will delay non- RISERS FALLERS YEN partnership announced in it in 2014. It is valued at essential elective care for fear AO World: 307.5p U 34.3% on booming JD Wetherspoon: 773.5p V 19.7% on YEN > USD V 8.4% U 0.7% March between the NHS and £445m, down from £842m. of catching Covid-19. A lockdown sales Kainos: £13.18 U 27% posting loss Capita: 25.9p V 16.6% Retail sales on the year on last month on beating profit forecasts Synthomer: on sector outlook Cineworld: 24.8p private hospitals allowed vital Spire, led by Justin Ash, second national lockdown 390.6p U 21.5% on reinstating dividend V 16.6% on continuing woes National ¥105.39 U 2.8% U 0.8% cancer care and operations to has worked hard to mitigate would be a big blow. 17,822.91 Just Eat Takeaway: £99.80 U 13.4% on Express: 146.3p V 16.4% on new Covid V 0.20 continue. It also saved Spire the impact of the lockdown, The prospect of any Spire 251.51 H:22,108.3 surge in orders TI Fluid Systems: 190p restrictions SSP: 178.8p V 14.4% on 12-month high: ¥112.11 U 10.5% on analyst note travel fears Source: Refinitiv/AJ Bell low: ¥102.34 Healthcare from disaster. amending its covenant tests recovery rests on a rebound 1.39% L:12,829.7 UK trade latest 3 mths prev. 3 mths latest 12 mths OIL balance (£bn) With much routine surgery with lenders and suspending in people taking out private DOLLARS/BARREL +12.93 +2.10 +18.05 put on hold, the private its dividend. Last month, it medical insurance. Rates DOW JONES HANG SENG FTSE EUROFIRST Gross domestic latest quarter prev. quarter annual change hospitals group, which runs reported revenues of have plunged this year. 28,606.31 24,386.79 1,422.19 product 39 sites across the UK, could £401.9m in the first half, Investment bank JP $42.93 V 20.4% V 2.2% V 21.7% 19.41 H:29,551.4 267.66 H:29,056.4 10.88 H:1,690.8 U 3.66 have gone out of business. down 18% on the same period Morgan has a 175p target on Budget deficit latest month prev. month year-to-date 0.07% L:18,591.9 1.11% L:21,696.1 0.76% L:1,096.5 12-month high: $71.75 (PSNB) in £bn Under the deal, the NHS last year. the stock, which closed at low: $15.98 -35.9 -15.4 -173.7 covered Spire’s costs, such as It reported a pre-tax loss of 112p on Friday. Jefferies is NASDAQ SHANGHAI SENSEX GOLD wages and rents, while Spire £231.3m, from a £9.6m profit more cautious with a 78p 11,671.56 3,336.36 39,982.98 DOLLARS/TROY OZ treated NHS patients.