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00:00Hello and welcome to our latest Business Brief on Wednesday the 7th of May.
00:05JD Weatherspoon has reported a 5.6% rise in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to April 27th.
00:11It opened two new pubs and sold seven during the period and now operates 795 sites across the UK.
00:17Weatherspoon launched four new franchise pubs in Haven Holiday Parks and bought back over 7 million shares.
00:24Card Factory has posted strong results too, with revenue up 6.2% to $542.5 million.
00:31New product lines like sweets and soft toys help lift customer spending.
00:35Half of all purchases now include non-card items.
00:39BAE Systems also made a strong start to 2025 in line with expectations.
00:44It expects sales to grow by up to 9% this year, building on $28.3 billion in 2024.
00:50Earnings are forecast to rise by up to 10%, with cash flow topping $1.1 billion.
00:56Orsted has scrapped plans for its Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm in its current form.
01:01The project was set to include up to 180 turbines around 69km off the Yorkshire coast.
01:07It had government approval and covered an offshore area of nearly 500 square kilometres.
01:12The company says the decision follows several adverse developments.
01:15Trainline has reported record results, with ticket sales up 12% to nearly £6 billion.
01:22Revenue rose 11% to $442 million, and profit jumped 54%.
01:27The UK led the way, with more than half of tickets now sold digitally.
01:31Spain also saw strong international growth.
01:35Kitwave Group delivered steady results for the six months to April 30th.
01:38Its food service division bounced back ahead of Easter after a slow start.
01:42A new South West distribution centre opened during the period.
01:46The firm says trading met expectations, despite some short-term costs.
01:51And around half of UK employers fear AI is distorting student applications.
01:56Many believe candidates are using it to misrepresent their skills.
01:59The Institute of Student Employers says it could affect fair recruitment.
02:03The findings are based on a survey of 148 firms.
02:06That's all for today. Thank you for listening.