UK's Smith+Nephew first-half profit jumps 11.2%, launches $500 million buyback
The London-based company also announced a new $500 million share buyback for the second half of the year.
It posted a trading profit of $523 million for the six months ended June 28, beating analyst estimates of $496 million, according to a company-compiled consensus.
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Elon Musk is the least popular public figure in America
Elon Musk is the least popular public figure in America, according to a new study. Pollster Gallup found that out of a list of 14 prominent figures, the tech billionaire came dead last, ranked just below Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Gallup asked 1,000 random American adults between July 7 and July 21 what they thought of the figures, with 61 percent of respondents having an unfavorable opinion of the Tesla boss. Others on the list included Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden and Pope Leo XIV. Though the overwhelming majority had negative reactions towards him, 33 percent of respondents to the survey said they liked Musk, and six percent said they had no opinion on him at all. The world's richest man's fall from grace has been a speedy one, having enjoyed the self-proclaimed status of 'First Buddy' to Donald Trump – currying favor with the president and his stalwart MAGA base and leading controversial efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash spending. Gallup put his 'net favorability rate' at -4 at the beginning of the year. However, following an explosive fallout between the pair in early June, in which they traded blows from their respective social media platforms, Musk was ousted from Trump's inner circle – with the president even suggesting that the South African-born businessman 'go back where he came from.' Gallup now puts his 'net favorability rate' at -28. Trump's lack of faith and endorsement have also mirrored that of Tesla 's stocks, which have been in steady decline. The electric vehicle manufacturer last month posted a 16 percent drop in net income for the second quarter of 2025 and a 12 percent fall in revenue for the same period. Musk and his reputation have even managed to turn people off EVs in general, according to a study by Williams College. While Trump's favorability was better than his former bestie's, the president still sits at 'net favorability' of -16; 57 percent of respondents hold a negative view of the president and 41 hold a positive one. Only two percent had no opinion. Several members of the president's close circle are viewed more positively, including vice president JD Vance, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, and even Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Netanyahu and Rubio occupy the second and third lowest spots on the poll, with -23 and -26 'net favorability' respectively.
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Badenoch says Truss ‘carries quite a lot blame' for Tory record of as war of words continues
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said Liz Truss 'carries quite a lot of' responsibility for the party's record amid a row over the party's direction. Responding after former prime minister Ms Truss accused her of 'repeating spurious narratives', Badenoch said she was 'very focused on what the Conservatives are going to do now'. The Leader of the Opposition faced questions about Ms Truss's claim that under the Conservatives, 'the economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by (Rishi) Sunak' and that 'the huge increase in immigration has been a disaster'. Mrs Badenoch told ITV Anglia: 'I know that, as a former prime minister and a former foreign secretary, (Ms Truss) carries quite a lot of that blame. 'The party's now under new leadership. 'I wasn't in charge during those 14 years; she was. 'That's a criticism she's probably levelling at herself.' The Tory leader also said she was 'telling the truth' about her party's record. 'I'm telling the truth that immigration was too high – that's why we have much tougher policies to fix immigration,' she continued. 'I am telling the truth that taxes were too high, that we were putting a lot of regulation on businesses, and what we're seeing is Labour making every single thing worse. 'They're doing that because they haven't learned many of the lessons that we learned. They haven't learned from our mistakes. They're making worse mistakes.' The Labour government's mistakes include making 'no cut in spending at all – the books were not balanced', Mrs Badenoch claimed. 'We're spending more on welfare than we are on defence – that cannot continue,' she said. Mrs Badenoch had previously told The Telegraph that 'for all their mocking of Liz Truss, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not learnt the lessons of the mini-budget and are making even bigger mistakes'. Ms Truss, who spent 49 days in Number 10, hit back when she said that 'instead of serious thinking', Mrs Badenoch was 'repeating spurious narratives'. She continued: 'I suspect she is doing this to divert from the real failures of 14 years of Conservative government in which her supporters are particularly implicated. 'It was a fatal mistake not to repeal Labour legislation like the Human Rights Act because the modernisers wanted to be the 'heirs to Blair'. 'Huge damage was done to our liberties through draconian lockdowns and enforcement championed by Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. 'The economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by Sunak. The huge increase in immigration has been a disaster.' Mrs Badenoch also took questions about her identity, after she told the Rosebud podcast: 'I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s. 'I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.' The North West Essex MP told ITV Anglia: 'I am definitely an Essex girl, that is a fact.' A London Assembly member before she took her Commons seat in 2017, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I represent an Essex constituency, these are my people. 'I was a Londoner, but Essex people asked me to be their MP, and I want to make sure that I do them proud. And I love this part of the world. 'It's fantastic being here. It's a rural community, and I've been talking to the farmers here. I talked about how my grandfather was a farmer, it's very hard work. 'The people of Essex and East Anglia – they are grafters. 'They work hard, and I want to make sure that we do right by them.' Mrs Badenoch spent Tuesday morning at a farm in Little Walden, where she tried her hand at harvesting wheat using a Claas Lexion combine harvester. She told farmers: 'A lot of farming just feels like constant interference. 'Everything is interfered from the minute you wake up.' Examples of interference included 'chemicals and insecticide, people you're hiring, how much you've got to pay them', plus changes to 'employers' NI (national insurance), then somebody wants to put pylons on, there's compulsory purchase, it's impacting the cost of the land, if you want to add a new farm building, there's planning applications', she said. 'It's just endless constant Government saying, 'You can't do this, you can't do that, you can't move forwards'. 'And the burden in my view has now crossed the threshold.'
Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Clay valued at $3.1 billion in latest fundraise as AI continues to run hot
Aug 5 (Reuters) - AI startup Clay's valuation more than doubled in about three months to $3.1 billion in its latest funding round, as investors continue to pour money into artificial intelligence companies. Clay operates an AI-centered platform to automate sales and marketing operations, and counts Google and Reddit as customers. The startup raised $100 million in the round, led by Google-parent Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab independent growth fund, CapitalG. About three months ago, the company was valued at $1.5 billion in an employee tender offer. Dealmaking activity for the first seven months of the year hit the highest since the 2021 pandemic-era peak, as investors have poured billions in AI and its applications, betting on the technology to enhance productivity and reduce costs. Last week, when most Big Tech companies reported their earnings, AI turned out to be a bigger driving factor behind demand across internet search, digital advertising and cloud. The funding will be used to accelerate its product development, the company said. Clay plans to launch tools that allow clients to scan data such as sales tickets and video calls with potential customers, co-founder Kareem Amin told Reuters in an interview. The company is also working on a "signals" offering that will provide sales representatives insights on when to message potential leads, Amin added. Existing investors who also participated in the round included Sequoia, Meritech Capital, and First Round Capital.
