Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe received a 40% boost to his annual bonus this year despite presiding over the supermarket's failed merger with Asda.

Mr Coupe's total pay package increased to £3.88 million, compared to £3.63m in the year before, according to the company's annual report.

This includes an annual bonus of £593,000, up almost 40% on £427,000 last year.

His base salary, pension benefits and long-term incentive plan awards also rose, but his deferred share award (DSA) was down 23% at £582,000.

Finance chief Kevin O'Byrne and Argos boss John Rogers have also been lined up for pay increases this year, receiving £2.2m and £2.5m respectively.

READ MORE: Asda moots stock market listing in wake of failed Sainsbury’s deal

It comes after a turbulent year for the retailer, in which its proposed multi-billion mega-merger with Asda was scrutinised and finally blocked by the competition regulator in April.

In its annual results last month, Sainsbury's revealed a £46 million bill for preparation costs associated with the deal.

Writing to shareholders in the report, chairman Martin Scicluna said: "In the current retail market, it is obvious that standing still is not an option. We must continue to adapt to market forces and meet the needs of our customers.

"We were, therefore, very disappointed by the Competition and Markets Authority's decision on our proposed merger with Asda. We strongly believe that the deal would have benefited our customers and our business."

Wizz Air has reported soaring passenger numbers for May, as the discount operator opened new flight routes.

The FTSE 250 airline business saw passenger numbers for the month leapt 22.4% to 3.4 million, from 2.8 million in May 2018.

Passenger numbers for the 12 months to the end of May 2019 also jumped, up 17.1% to 35.7 million compared with the same period last year.

The airline, which predominantly operates in central and eastern Europe, saw growth driven by its route network expansion which saw it launch nine new routes, to destinations in Poland and Ukraine.

It was also buoyed by the opening of a new Polish base in Krakow, with three Airbus A320 family aircraft deployed at the site.

Wizz Air also saw its seat numbers increase 19.8% in May to 3.7 million, as it was boosted by the new routes.

Output in Britain's construction sector contracted in May, as Brexit uncertainty weighed on demand while job numbers fell at their fastest rate since November 2012.

The Markit/CIPS UK Construction purchasing managers' index (PMI) recorded a reading of 48.6 for May, down from 50.5 in April.

Economists were expecting a figure of 50.5. A reading above 50 indicates growth, below represents contraction.

Last month's reading is the lowest since extreme weather during last year's Beast from the East prevented construction work from going ahead in March 2018.

It is also the third time the sector has contracted in the past four months.

The weak environment affected hiring in the sector, with employment numbers last month falling at their sharpest rate for more than six years.

Tim Moore, associate director at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey, said: "The soft patch for construction work so far this year has started to impact on staff hiring, with some firms cutting back on expansion plans and others opting to delay the replacement of voluntary leavers."