Telecoms, British Gas and the UK's newspaper industry were the unlikely candidates thrust together into the 'most followed on the internet' camp.
Regulator Ofcom has been in the news a lot this week what with the BT/Open Reach split but today it was back saying it would investigate telephone landline rental prices after substantial increase in real terms by all the main suppliers in recent years.
The regulator said it was concerned by the increase in charges over the past six years, with Sky’s (LON:SKY) charges rising by 41% and the lowest still rising a whopping 28%.
In contrast, over the same period, the underlying wholesale cost of providing a landline service had fallen by 25%.
TalkTalk shares shed 2.88% to 155.10p, while Sky's fell 1.09% to 772.5p. BT Group (LON:BT.A) fell 0.76% to stand at 453.4p.
Ofcom opens new assault on telecoms over rising line rental prices https://t.co/csvGHUhXiB via @FT
— N̈ic Fildes (@NicFildes) December 1, 2016
Speaking of services we pretty much all need to use, the UK's biggest energy supplier British Gas , owned by Centrica plc (LON:CNA), was back in the news today....and just as the roads are icing up and winter biting.
After years of price hikes, the firms said it was freezing (pardon the pun) its standard tariffs for the coming winter, providing, it says, peace of mind for more than six million customers.
It is worth noting perhaps that the standard tariffs were the most expensive on the market, and consumer advice is often that people should think about switching.
There was a small comfort today perhaps also for those struggling to get onto the property ladder, as annual house price growth has slowed to its lowest rate since January, according to building society Nationwide.
The building society said prices in November rose by 0.1% from the month before, with the average cost of a home now standing at £204,947. The lender also said there were signs that demand for new homes had picked up a little in recent months.
Among notable share gainers today was Daily Mail and Metro owner, the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT).
Shares raced up earlier around 8% before easing back again, after it s annual revenues and profits beat City expectations, but the group still saw a 23% drop in profits at its newspaper arm.
The firm said the tough newspaper advertising market conditions it had experienced in the second half of 2015 had persisted, with print advertising revenues declining by 12%.
This was largely offset, however, by online advertising revenues, which were up 17%.
Finally, and as a footnote, the new plasticky feel fiver is still making the newswires.
After it emerged the new waterproof noted contained tallow, spawning many complaints, the Bank of England now says its supplier is working on "potential solutions" to get rid of the animal fat.
The Bank said the problem "had only just come to light" and it was treating the concerns with "utmost seriousness".
A petition to ban the note has attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
Chancellor Philip Hammond says the new bank notes prove that you can feed a family with a #fiver
— Nicola Jane Swinney (@NicolaJSwinney) November 30, 2016