Premier Inn owner Whitbread in the spotlight The Sunday Pivot: your guide to the week that was and the week ahead in business and markets.

Up to date? Read my preview of the business, economic, and market stories I expect to dominate the coming week: from Premier Inn owner Whitbread to the US banks.

open.substack.com/pub/richardf...

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink tells @thetimes.com: "I’m buying up ‘undervalued’ UK assets"

www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

For the last two decades the USA stock market has significantly outperformed UK/Europe. Wizzier tech companies, bigger profits, bolder prospects.
Since Trump has come in, that's no longer the case.
[graph from excellent daily biz newsletter from @thetimes.com, edited by @fletcherr.bsky.social]

Back on the shop floor with Allan Leighton, Asda’s man of the people Asda sales fell 5.8% over Christmas. Allan Leighton, who is returning as chairman after two decades, wants to truly revive the supermarket giant

Back on the shop floor with Allan Leighton ... The 71 year old retail veteran talks publicly for the first time about why he returned to Asda and how he plans to revive the supermarket chain

www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

Tomorrow's @thetimes.com Business front page: Trump rows back demand for tariffs #TomorrowPapersToday

"We need to be far angrier about the scars of lockdown and loading the next generation with debt". Spot on from Matthew Syed via @thetimes.com

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com business front page: Thousands on offer for Leeds move #TomorrowsPapersToday

Rob Burrow’s wife, Lindsey: He’d use his eyes to text, ‘I love you’ It’s eight months since rugby league star Rob Burrow died of motor neurone disease. Now his wife, Lindsey, has written a moving memoir about their life together

“Lindsey is far tougher than any of the men I have ever played with or against over the years” - Rob Burrow

www.thetimes.com/life-style/h...

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com business front page: Tech giants caught up in tariff wars #TomorrowsPapersToday

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com business front page: Safety crisis sends Boeing into tailspin #TomorrowsPapersToday

New boss of the competition regulator “shares the mission and the strategic direction of the government - Rachel Reeves claims #WEF25 #Davos

www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

“We have wiped the slate clean, business can be confident of that” - Chancellor Rachel Reeves tells annual meeting of #WEF in #Davos in response to criticism of budget

“We are never going to come back and do a budget like that again” - Chancellor Rachel Reeves tells annual meeting of #WEF in #Davos

“It will be a choppy time to be trade minister” Jonathan Reynolds tells business leaders at #WEF meeting in #Davos

Barclays boss urges businesses to give Rachel Reeves time at #wef meeting in #Davos

www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

“The Bank should be free from government interference but not from detailed scrutiny. For too long it has enjoyed an easy ride.”

The Times view on the Bank of England

www.thetimes.com/article/aa33...

Tomorrow's @thetimes.com Business front page: Budget raid forces firms to shed jobs #TomorrowsPapersToday

Rugby league due its first knight – but Sir Kev must wait his turn Now 90, Billy Boston rose above discrimination to establish himself as a role model in a community that was proud to support him. He and his sport should be properly honoured sooner rather than later

Great column by @thetimes.com Owen Slot … Rugby league due its first knight – but Sir Kev must wait his turn

www.thetimes.com/article/2c26...

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com Business front page: FCA warns against ‘race to bottom’ #TomorrowsPapersToday

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com Business front page: Corporate espionage claim as Boohoo bosses ‘stalked’ #TomorrowsPapersToday

Corporate espionage claims as Boohoo executives ‘stalked’ Police are investigating claims that bosses at the fast-fashion group were followed, with some reporting surveillance at their homes

💥 Corporate espionage claims as Boohoo executives ‘stalked’. Full story now on @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/article/d1e1...

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com Business front page: Intel chief exits during turnaround #TomorrowsPapersToday

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com Business front page: Bank warns of risk from trade war #TomorrowsPapersToday

Young people need to accept that work can be boring The quest for passion has leached from career advice to recruitment policies. But most jobs are, often, soul-suckingly tedious

Of the jobs advertised on job site Adzuna, 34.4% now require a candidate with "passion" or who is "passionate".
That's ludicrous.
Workers need to accept that a lot of work is just, well, boring.
This week's @thetimes.com business column on tedium at work:
www.thetimes.com/article/youn...

George Osborne takes share of £30m payout at Robey Warshaw via @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/article/2873...

“Your 50th run of this route” …Strava’s AI summary politely telling me I’m boring

Everyone should calm down about both chancellor and economy argues David Smith in today’s @thetimes.com business pages

www.thetimes.com/article/1c78...

Tomorrow's @thetimes.com Business front page: Macquarie rogue trader costs it £13m #TomorrowPapersToday

If you think you are having a bad Monday ....

Tomorrow’s @thetimes.com front page: Royal Mail warns of £120m NI hit #TomorrowsPapersToday