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Bernard Matthews confirms closure of Derby factory

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A Bernard Matthews sign

A British food giant is set to close its factory in Derby amid “significant financial losses”.

Bernard Matthews Foods has confirmed it will be shutting its processing facility on Shaftesbury Street South by the end of 2026.

A spokesperson for the company said the decision had been made at the conclusion of consultations with “employee and union representatives”.

The decision comes two years after the company announced plans to close a plant at its headquarters in Great Witchingham, Norfolk, where its founder built his empire.

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In a statement on Thursday, the company said its financial situation was due to “external economic challenges”.

“This decision follows continued significant financial losses, alongside a range of external economic challenges and the geopolitical environment, including Brexit, Covid, and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which have all contributed to significantly impacting the site and its supply chain,” a spokesperson said.

“The company will support impacted employees through potential redeployment opportunities across the wider business, and engagement with local organisations to explore alternative employment options.”

The well-known food brand rose to prominence in the 1960s when Bernard Matthews entered the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest turkey farmer in Europe.

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Matthews was known for his “bootiful” catchphrase and his success led to an expansion of turkey-related products, including turkey Twizzlers.

The entrepreneur died in 2010 on the day of the US Thanksgiving holiday, often referred to as Turkey Day.

According to the company’s website, it still runs processing and production sites in Sunderland and in Holton, Suffolk.

Trade union Unite has been contacted for comment.

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How Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK Is Expanding Global Energy Partnerships in Ukraine

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The price of oil climbed above $111 a barrel on Tuesday as mounting anxiety over stalled diplomatic efforts in the Gulf pushed energy markets higher and left equities treading water.

Over recent months, DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy investor, has signed a series of agreements with international companies.

GE Vernova, Octopus Energy, Halliburton – partners of a calibre that would have been difficult to imagine for a country at war just a couple of years ago. DTEK Group is 100% owned by SCM Holdings of Rinat Akhmetov. The strategic vision of Rinat Akhmetov has played a key role in positioning the company as a reliable partner on the global energy stage.

Gas-Fired Generation of 650 MW with GE Vernova

In June 2026, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Akhmetov‘s DTEK and the American company GE Vernova signed a memorandum on the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine power plant at the Burshtyn thermal power station site in western Ukraine. The document was signed in the presence of First Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The plant’s installed capacity will reach up to 650 MW, with investment of approximately €900 million, expected output of up to 5 TWh per year and a planned launch by 2032. The station will serve as a source of flexible generation capable of starting within minutes and balancing grid load. The project has been included among the 18 flagship initiatives of the “Economy of the Future” plan presented by the Ukrainian government.

Solar Energy and Storage with Octopus Energy

In parallel, Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK and British firm Octopus Energy are establishing a joint venture for Project RISE – an initiative with a target of attracting €100 million in financing to install rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems on Ukrainian businesses and public sector buildings. The concept was first announced in June 2025, and the product has already been launched through DTEK’s retail arm YASNO.

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The arrangement works as follows. Equipment is installed at no upfront cost to the client, the contract runs for ten years, after which the equipment becomes the customer’s property. Octopus’s Kraken battery management system enables customers to reduce peak-hour consumption and sell surplus energy back to the grid. Distributed generation is more resilient to missile strikes than large centralised plants, and that is its principal advantage for Akhmetov Ukraine energy strategy.

Gas Extraction with Halliburton

DTEK Oil&Gas, the leading private gas extraction company in Ukraine, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Halliburton. The cooperation covers well completion technologies, production enhancement and software solutions for well design and drilling support. Ukraine holds the second-largest natural gas reserves in Europe, and in the long term production could grow from the current 20 billion cubic metres to 60-70 billion cubic metres per year. This direction is also part of the broader long-term strategy shaped by Rinat Akhmetov to strengthen Ukraine’s energy independence.

Wind Energy in Poltava

Another flagship project is the Poltava wind farm with a capacity of 650 MW. Investment is estimated at €1.2 billion, and the station will supply electricity to up to one million households. Construction is planned to begin in 2027, with full commissioning by 2029. It will become the largest onshore wind farm in Eastern Europe.

What Lies Behind These Deals

The DTEK Advisory Council, which brings together international politicians, economists and energy experts, has published a White Paper with recommendations for modernising the energy sector. The central argument is that reconstruction should not replicate the Soviet centralised model but rather build a decentralised system based on renewables, gas-fired generation and storage.

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DTEK Group has invested over €12 billion in Ukrainian energy since 2005 and, following the full-scale war, restored power supply to more than 48 million households. Akhmetov Rinat’s businesses consistently build partnerships with global players through their assets, turning infrastructure recovery into an investment opportunity. Beyond business, philanthropy Rinat Akhmetov efforts through his Foundation and humanitarian programmes continue to support Ukrainians affected by the war. During the full-scale war, Rinat Akhmetov and his businesses have allocated $368 million (UAH 13.5 billion) in assistance to Ukraine and the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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Hyundai’s Genesis debuts new flagship luxury EV

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Hyundai’s Genesis debuts new flagship luxury EV

Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand Genesis is launching a new electric SUV with more than 300 miles of estimated range and a cabin packed with technology

The new GV90 is expected to travel about 310 miles on a full charge. Genesis says its battery can charge from 10% to 80% in about 22 minutes when using a 350-kilowatt fast charger, according to a Wednesday announcement from the brand.

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“Our new flagship SUV represents our vision for the future while embodying the very best of Genesis, staying true to the distinctly Korean values of hospitality and craftmanship that have shaped our journey,” José Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a statement.

The SUV will be offered in standard and Neolun versions. 

HYUNDAI STOPS SALES OF CERTAIN SUVS AFTER 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S DEATH

Genesis GV90 exterior

The Genesis GV90, the luxury brand’s new flagship electric SUV, is shown here. (Genesis)

The standard GV90 features traditional doors, while the Neolun model uses coach-style doors that open in opposite directions. 

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The design creates a wider opening, which Genesis says makes it easier for passengers to get in and out of the vehicle.

Safety features include 12 airbags, with a new roof airbag designed to deploy across the glass roof during severe rollover crashes

The SUV also includes reinforced structural components, enhanced battery safety and an in-cabin monitoring system, according to Genesis.

HYUNDAI MOTOR BRINGS BOSTON DYNAMICS’ ATLAS HUMANOID ROBOT TO FIFA WORLD CUP IN GROUNDBREAKING ACTIVATION

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Inside the vehicle, the GV90 comes with a pop-up OLED cinematic display, a 25-inch head-up display, Hyundai Motor Group’s Pleos Connect “infotainment” system and a generative AI assistant called Gleo AI.

It also features a 25-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system.

The Neolun version adds motorized front seats that can rotate 180 degrees while the SUV is parked.

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“Occupants can now engage in a face-to-face lounge-like configuration, ideal for socializing or conducting business,” as noted in the announcement.

KIA AND HYUNDAI ISSUE MAJOR RECALLS FOR OVER 335,000 VEHICLES DUE TO FUEL TANK MELTING RISK

Genesis GV90 exterior

The Genesis GV90 is shown from the rear. (Genesis)

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung described the GV90 as a “new vision for luxury mobility.”

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“Technology alone does not create luxury, and design alone does not define luxury,” Chung said. “The value of innovation lies in transforming the customer experience in intelligent and intuitive ways to improve people’s lives.”

Hyundai Motor Group did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for details on when the GV90 will go on sale.

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Top 5 Hair Transplant Clinics in Turkey for Celebrity-Grade Results

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For many men in the UK, hair transplants have become the go-to solution for restoring confidence and tackling hair loss. However, the cost of a hair transplant in the UK can be daunting, often ranging between £5,000 and £15,000 depending on the clinic, technique, and number of grafts.

When a Premier League footballer, a reality TV star or a chart-topping musician suddenly appears with a restored hairline, the work was very often done in Istanbul.

Turkey performs an estimated one million hair restoration procedures a year, and the country’s most experienced surgeons now compete for the same discerning clientele that once flew to Los Angeles or Harley Street. For anyone researching a premium hair transplant Turkey option from a practice like MedArt, widely regarded as the best hair transplant clinic in Turkey, the real question is no longer whether the country can deliver — it is which clinics consistently produce the kind of undetectable, camera-ready result that stands up to close scrutiny under studio lighting.

This ranking looks at five Turkish clinics with a track record of high-visibility outcomes: natural hairline design, dense but soft frontal zones, and results that do not announce themselves as surgery.

Why Turkey Has Become the Destination for High-End Hair Restoration

Turkey’s reputation was built on price, but its top tier is now built on volume of experience. A senior Istanbul surgeon may perform more transplants in a year than a European colleague does in five, and that repetition matters enormously in a procedure where artistry is as important as technical skill.

Modern Istanbul hair transplant facility used by international patients travelling to Turkey

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Three factors explain why celebrity-grade work is achievable in Istanbul:

  • Specialisation. The leading clinics do nothing but hair. There is no cosmetic surgery sideline diluting focus.
  • Large, trained technical teams. Graft handling — extraction, storage, implantation speed — determines survival rates. Turkish clinics employ dedicated, long-serving technicians rather than rotating staff.
  • Cost structure. Lower overheads mean a patient can access a top surgeon for a fraction of UK pricing. Comparing a realistic Hair transplant Turkey price against a London quote for the same graft count typically shows a 60–75% difference.

What separates a premium result from an average one is rarely the machine used. It is hairline planning, angle and direction of implantation, graft-per-square-centimetre discipline, and honest limits on what a donor area can supply.

Quick Comparison: Turkey’s Top 5 Clinics for Premium Results

Rank Clinic Signature Strength Primary Techniques Typical Price Range (2026)
1 MedArt Hair Doctor-designed hairlines, aesthetic detail Sapphire FUE, DHI €2,000–€3,500
2 Sapphire Hair Clinic Sapphire-blade precision, dense packing Sapphire FUE, DHI €2,200–€3,600
3 Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic International reputation, media profile FUE, Sapphire FUE €2,500–€4,500
4 ASMED Surgical Medical Center Boutique, surgeon-performed, one case per day Manual FUE (Sequential) €7,000–€14,000
5 Buk Clinic Ultra-refined hairline artistry Manual FUE €6,000–€12,000

MedArt Hair — The Strongest All-Round Choice for Natural, Undetectable Results

MedArt Hair has built its reputation on the part of the procedure patients notice most: the front. Hairline design is handled by the treating doctor rather than delegated, with the frontal zone drawn against facial proportions, forehead height and the patient’s natural growth pattern before a single graft is extracted. Single-hair follicles are reserved for the leading edge, with progressively thicker groupings behind — the technique that makes the difference between a hairline that reads as natural on camera and one that looks like a transplant.

Dr. Busra Yakupoglu, hair transplant surgeon at MedArt Hair in Istanbul

The clinic works with both Sapphire FUE and DHI, choosing based on the case rather than promoting one method as universally superior. DHI tends to be favoured for tight frontal work and smaller sessions; Sapphire FUE for larger coverage across mid-scalp and crown. Sessions are limited in number per day, which keeps graft out-of-body time short — the single most underrated variable in survival rates.

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Before and after hair transplant results from a MedArt Hair patient in Istanbul

MedArt’s published Hair Transplant Turkey Results gallery is unusually forthcoming: photos are taken under consistent lighting at fixed intervals, including the awkward three-to-five-month phase most clinics quietly skip. English-speaking coordinators handle the logistics — airport transfer, hotel, translation, medication — and follow-up continues through the full 12-month growth cycle rather than ending at the airport.

Best for: Patients who want a genuinely natural hairline, transparent documentation and premium care without boutique-tier pricing.

Sapphire Hair Clinic — Precision Instrumentation and Dense Frontal Packing

Sapphire Hair Clinic takes its name from the sapphire-tipped blades used to create recipient channels, which produce smaller, cleaner incisions than traditional steel slits. In practice, that allows tighter graft placement without compromising blood supply — useful for patients who want visible density in the frontal third rather than mere coverage.

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The clinic is known for methodical planning and a conservative attitude toward session sizes, declining to promise 6,000-graft mega-sessions where the donor area cannot realistically support them. Photographic documentation is thorough, and the technical team is stable, which shows in consistency between cases.

Best for: Patients prioritising maximum frontal density from a single well-planned session.

Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic — Istanbul’s Best-Known International Name

Few Turkish hair clinics have the international profile of Dr. Serkan Aygin, whose practice has treated patients from more than 100 countries and holds European recognition for medical excellence in hair restoration. The clinic is a familiar name to British patients in particular, thanks to consistent media coverage and a long operating history in Istanbul.

The operational model is high-volume but well-systematised: dedicated consultation, standardised aftercare protocols, multilingual coordination and a large support team. Dr. Aygin’s own background is in dermatology, and the clinic places notable emphasis on diagnosing the cause of hair loss before recommending surgery — including cases where medical treatment rather than transplantation is the correct answer.

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Best for: Patients who value an established, heavily reviewed name with strong medical diagnostics.

ASMED Surgical Medical Center — Boutique, Surgeon-Led, One Patient a Day

ASMED, founded by Dr. Koray Erdoğan, operates at the opposite end of Turkey’s market from the volume clinics. It typically handles a single patient per day, and the surgeon is directly involved throughout using a manual “Sequential FUE” approach designed to protect donor architecture over multiple potential sessions.

This is the clinic frequently cited on international hair-loss forums for repair work and for cases where a previous transplant left visible scarring or a poorly designed hairline. Pricing reflects the model — several times the Istanbul average — but so does the level of surgeon involvement and case selectivity.

Best for: Complex cases, repair work and patients for whom cost is secondary to surgeon-performed precision.

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HLC Hair Clinic — Hairline Artistry at the Highest Level

Based in Ankara and Istanbul, HLC has spent two decades building a reputation for the most technically refined hairlines in Turkey. The clinic works exclusively with manual FUE, keeps case numbers deliberately low, and is known for exceptionally natural transitions between transplanted and native hair.

HLC’s philosophy leans conservative: realistic graft counts, long-term donor management and a willingness to turn away patients whose expectations exceed what their donor supply can deliver. For patients whose hair will be examined closely — on screen, on stage or in photographs — that restraint is a feature rather than a limitation.

Best for: Patients seeking the most refined possible aesthetic result and prepared to pay premium rates for it.

Summary Verdict: Which Clinic Suits Which Patient?

Clinic Model Surgeon Involvement Ideal Patient Profile Value Rating
MedArt Hair Mid-volume, doctor-planned High (design + oversight) Wants premium aesthetics at fair pricing ★★★★★
Sapphire Hair Clinic Mid-volume, technique-led Moderate–high Wants maximum frontal density ★★★★☆
Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic High-volume, systematised Moderate Wants a well-known, reviewed brand ★★★★☆
ASMED Boutique, one case daily Very high Repair cases, no budget ceiling ★★★☆☆
HLC Hair Clinic Boutique, low volume Very high Wants the finest hairline detail ★★★☆☆

What Actually Produces a Celebrity-Grade Result

Marketing language is easy to produce; the following signals are harder to fake.

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  • The doctor designs the hairline. Ask directly who draws it and who oversees implantation. If the answer is vague, keep looking.
  • Long-interval photographs. Insist on 12-month results, not four-month teasers, and on cases with hair loss comparable to your own.
  • Realistic graft numbers. A credible clinic will quote a range after examining your donor density — not a round number before seeing a photograph.
  • Stated implantation density. Around 40–50 grafts per cm² in the frontal zone is a strong, natural-looking target; claims far beyond that deserve scepticism.
  • Aftercare that lasts a year. Growth is not linear. Genuine clinics schedule check-ins at three, six and twelve months.
  • Honest refusals. A surgeon who declines to operate, or recommends medical therapy first, is demonstrating judgement — the very quality you are paying for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do celebrities really have hair transplants in Turkey?

Numerous public figures, including internationally known footballers and television personalities, have openly confirmed treatment in Istanbul. The reason is straightforward: Turkey’s leading surgeons perform very high case volumes, and discretion, private facilities and short recovery windows suit people with public schedules.

Does paying more in Turkey guarantee a better hair transplant?

Not automatically. Boutique clinics charging premium rates offer greater surgeon involvement and lower daily case loads, which suits complex or repair cases. However, several mid-priced Istanbul clinics deliver comparable aesthetic outcomes for straightforward cases. What matters is who plans and performs the work, not the invoice total.

How long before a transplant looks completely natural on camera?

Transplanted hairs shed within the first month, then regrow gradually. Most patients see meaningful coverage by month six, and the final texture, density and styling flexibility settle between months 12 and 18. Fine-tuning a hairline for close-up photography realistically requires a full year of patience.

Is one session enough for a fully restored hairline?

For many patients with stable, moderate loss, yes. Those with advanced thinning, or who continue losing native hair, may need a second smaller session to refine density. Reputable clinics discuss that possibility upfront and plan donor use accordingly rather than exhausting it in one sitting.

The Bottom Line

Turkey’s top clinics no longer compete on price alone — they compete on artistry, and the gap between the best and the merely adequate is measured in millimetres of hairline design. MedArt Hair leads this ranking for combining doctor-led aesthetic planning and transparent long-term documentation with pricing that remains well below UK equivalents, while ASMED and HLC represent the boutique extreme for repair and ultra-refined cases. Whichever direction a patient leans, the process should begin the same way: a proper scalp assessment, a realistic graft estimate, twelve-month photographic evidence from comparable cases, and a written aftercare plan. Get those four things in hand, and a genuinely undetectable result stops being a matter of luck.

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Major speculative industrial scheme for Port Talbot

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The 20,000 sq ft scheme from CJ Construction has been backed with finance from the Development Bank of Wales

Left to right: Alwyn Thomas, senior property development executive, Development Bank of Wales; Nicola Crocker, fund manager, Development Banks of Wales; Russell Jones, director CJ Construction (Wales) Ltd; Alex Holland, director CJ Construction (Wales) Ltd

Port Talbot-based CJ Construction (Wales) is set to deliver its first commercial property development marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth two years after a management buyout.

Located within the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone, the development at Mardon Park will transform 1.37 acres of brownfield land into 20,000 sq ft of speculative industrial space that could be occupied by a single business or subdivided into smaller units.

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The development is being backed with a £2.35m investment from the Development Bank of Wales. The funding package includes a £1.37 million grant and a loan of £980,000 from the Wales Commercial Property Fund.

Founded by Chris Jones in 1988, and incorporated in 2000, CJ Construction has grown from a family business into an established contractor employing 32 people and generating an annual turnover of almost £5m. The company has built a reputation delivering commercial and residential projects across South Wales, particularly for housing associations.

In July 2024, Chris’s son Russell Jones and fellow director Alex Holland self funded the MBO, with founder Chris remaining with the business in an advisory role.

The Baglan project represents the company’s first direct commercial development, building on more than two decades’ experience as principal contractor on residential and commercial schemes.

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Alex Holland, commercial director at CJ Construction said:“Completing the management buy-out gave us the opportunity to shape the future of the business, and this development is a major step forward in that journey.

“We’ve spent many years delivering projects for clients across South Wales, so taking on our first development of our own feels like a natural progression. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for some time and the support from the Development Bank of Wales has given us the confidence to make that move.

“We’re proud to be investing in Port Talbot. Wherever possible we’ll continue working with local subcontractors and suppliers throughout the build, ensuring the investment benefits the wider local economy as well as creating high-quality commercial space for businesses looking to locate or expand here.”

Russell Jones, contracts director at CJ Construction, added:“We’ve built the business steadily over many years and have always taken a long-term approach. This development forms an important part of our future growth strategy and is something we’d like to build on in the years ahead.

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“There is clear demand for flexible, modern commercial space in this part of South Wales. Our aim is to create units that are suitable for a range of businesses while contributing to the continued regeneration of the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone.”

Since the start of the year the Development Bank of Wales has invested almost £8m in developments across Wales through the Wales Commercial Property Fund, supporting the delivery of nearly 143,000 sq ft of new industrial space.

Alwyn Thomas, senior property development executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said:“CJ Construction has established an excellent reputation as a contractor over the past 25 years, and this investment represents an exciting next step in the company’s development.

“Supporting experienced Welsh developers as they diversify and grow is exactly what the Wales Commercial Property Fund is designed to do. This project will bring forward high-quality speculative commercial space on a strategically important employment site while supporting regeneration, investment and future business growth in Port Talbot.”

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The Wales Commercial Property Fund offers loans from £250,000 to £5 million for speculative and non-speculative office and industrial developments in Wales with terms of up to five years. Since 2017, the development bank has invested £34m in commercial property projects resulting in more than 411,000 sq. ft of space.

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Texas Roadhouse: A Delectable Business At An Unappetizing Price (NASDAQ:TXRH)

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Texas Roadhouse: A Delectable Business At An Unappetizing Price (NASDAQ:TXRH)

This article was written by

Daniel is an avid and active professional investor.
He runs Crude Value Insights, a value-oriented newsletter aimed at analyzing the cash flows and assessing the value of companies in the oil and gas space. His primary focus is on finding businesses that are trading at a significant discount to their intrinsic value by employing a combination of Benjamin Graham’s investment philosophy and a contrarian approach to the market and the securities therein. Learn more.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Earnings call transcript: eXoZymes posts q2 2026 loss as launch plans advance

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Earnings call transcript: eXoZymes posts q2 2026 loss as launch plans advance

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Northumberland fashion brand Disturbia sees revenues rocket 50% amid global surge

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‘We firmly believe that the market opportunity exists for Disturbia to continue to grow and reach a wider audience’

Disturbia, based in Cramlington, has seen its revenues rise by more than 50%.

Disturbia, based in Cramlington, has seen its revenues rise by more than 50%.(Image: Disturbia)

A Northumberland alternative clothing and lifestyle brand is toasting a 50% rise in revenues, with more global growth set to come. Disturbia – a portmanteau of ‘disturb’ and ‘suburbia’ – was launched in 2003 by Northumbria University fashion and photography graduates Francis and Helen Major, with the pair wanting to create unconventional clothing with a nod to the dark side of popular culture, subversive iconography and “a quintessential British punk DIY ethic”.

The husband-and-wife team started our by printing T-shirt designs thanks to a small loan from Francis’s parents – and the business got a boost when the tops were discovered by Julian Dunkerton, the co-founder of Superdry and Cult Clothing, at a trade show.

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Today, Harper & Willow Ltd – which trades under the brand name Disturbia – manufactures and sells everything from dresses and tops to jackets, shirts, jumpers and jeans. As well as clothing, it also sells accessories including jewellery, footwear and homeware through its website and app.

And following investment, the company – with offices in Cramlington and London – has grown to become a global fashion and lifestyle brand, with more than half of all sales coming from outside of the UK.

The firm, known for its alternative fashion combining elements of dark romance, fantasy and fable, has now published accounts for the year ended January 2026, showing revenues rose from £35.1m to £52.8m, while pre-tax profits reached £12.5m, up from £8.5m. Operating profit was also £12.5m, up from £8.2m, and the overall profit for the year was £9.35m, up from £6.35m. Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £16.67m.

Francis and Helen Major, founders of Disturbia

Francis and Helen Major, founders of Disturbia(Image: Disturbia)

A breakdown of turnover showed £16.35m came from the UK, while the remaining £36.5m was accrued from Rest of the World markets. Employee numbers also rose significantly, from 48 in 2025 to 68. That increase took the wages bill up from £2.27m to £3.27m.

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The company received initial backing from Refined Capital Partners (RCP) in 2023 to help fuel growth. Earlier this year RCP announced that Digital Fuel Capital had then come on board to take a minority stake in Disturbia, further reinforcing Disturbia’s accelerated expansion in the US, which already represented nearly half of the brand’s global turnover.

In the accounts, Richard Leeson, CEO, said the company had launched a new European fulfilment centre, adding to existing centres in the UK and US.

He said: “Turnover in 2026 increased by 50.5% to £52.8m from £35.1m in 2025. The key drivers behind this growth being an increase in the product offering which now includes a broader range of lifestyle and accessories as well as expanding clothing offerings, more investment into digital marketing spend to reach a wider audience and improved customer proposition.

“In January 2025 we opened a fulfilment centre in the EU which allowed us to provide an enhanced offering to our customers in that region, from speed of delivery, lack of cross border duties and the ease of returns this has helped us grow our presence in the EU and provide a strong foundation for future growth and development.”

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He said that the firm’s gross margin dropped by 1.2% as the impact of tariffs in the US put pressure on margins, alongside strategic decisions to increase promotional activity and discounting during a challenging final quarter.

He added: “We firmly believe that the market opportunity exists for Disturbia to continue to grow and reach a wider audience as we continue to invest in product development, brand awareness and digital marketing, customer proposition in all of our key regions and look to expand into new revenue channels.”

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Starbucks lays off 200 corporate workers as part of Brian Niccol’s turnaround plan

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Starbucks lays off 200 corporate workers as part of Brian Niccol's turnaround plan

Starbucks is laying off over 200 corporate workers as it moves forward with the turnaround strategy that it began two years ago under CEO Brian Niccol.

The coffee giant on Thursday published a layoff notice under the WARN Act, clarifying plans to cut over 200 corporate roles after it previously disclosed plans to reduce the corporate workforce by about 300 jobs.

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The WARN filing indicated that about 120 of the employee separations are associated with workers from its support team focused on designing and developing coffeehouses who declined the opportunity to relocate from Seattle, Washington, to Nashville, Tennessee.

Additionally, about 104 cuts are organizational changes resulting from restructuring plans detailed in May.

STARBUCKS’ TURNAROUND PLAN SHOWS PROMISE IN US AS SALES GROWTH RETURNS FOR FIRST TIME IN 2 YEARS

A shot of a Starbucks store in Manhattan.

Starbucks submitted a filing with details about over 200 job cuts. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The expected date of the first separations will be Oct. 19, 2026, with all completed by Nov. 1, 2026.

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Starbucks indicated the organizational changes aren’t altering the company’s coffeehouse strategy, and it is moving forward with its “third place experience” of uplifting coffeehouses and expanding and developing its portfolio.

The filing represents the last component of Starbucks’ remaining organizational changes from the restructuring announced in May so that it can focus on improving the experience at its coffeehouses and those of its employee partners and customers, according to the company.

STARBUCKS TO CLOSE STORES, CUT JOBS AS PART OF TURNAROUND STRATEGY

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
SBUX STARBUCKS CORP. 103.99 -0.99 -0.94%

The company is building a new regional corporate office in Nashville that comes with a price tag of $100 million and will house about 2,000 employees, though it is keeping its headquarters in Seattle.

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After Niccol took the helm at Starbucks in September 2024, becoming the company’s third CEO in a two-year period, he put the company on a turnaround plan to spur more business in coffeehouses.

STARBUCKS CEO SAYS COFFEE CHAIN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE’ IN MAJOR TURNAROUND EFFORT AFTER ONE YEAR

Brian Niccol

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is pursuing a turnaround strategy at the coffee giant. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company)

The plan has featured efforts to redesign interiors to encourage customers to linger, along with “personal touches,” like writing names on cups and serving drinks in mugs.

It’s also working to ensure proper staffing at stores, streamlining mobile orders, letting customers handle their own condiments and committing to having all drinks ready in four minutes or less.

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Last year, Starbucks moved to close some underperforming stores and cut 900 non-retail partner roles, while also freezing many open positions as it restructured.

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W. P. Carey: A Rock-Solid 5% Yielding REIT For Dividend Growth Investors (NYSE:WPC)

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W. P. Carey: A Rock-Solid 5% Yielding REIT For Dividend Growth Investors (NYSE:WPC)

This article was written by

I am interested in a lot of technology and AI stocks like Google, Nvidia, AMD, Tesla and Amazon.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of WPC, O either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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