M&A Roundup: HY 2022 City Talk This year has been challenging on many levels – inflation is impacting economic demand, the cost of living crises carries on, and the war in Ukraine continues. However, in terms of M&A, EMEA is withstanding the headwinds rather well. Per Mergermarket figures, deal count totalled 4,963 compared with 6,182 in H1 2021, a fall of [...]
Asos warn on profits as cost of living crisis hits consumers TROUBLE ONLINE Asos has cautioned over profits after sales fell below expectations in August as consumers tightened their belts in response to rising bills. The online fashion giant said it saw “good growth” in June and July and expects total sales for the year to August 31 to remain within market expectations. However, it said it is [...]
Short sellers pile into UK firms amid political turmoil short sellers Short sellers piled into bets against UK firms in August as political turmoil and a looming recession continue to drag on London’s markets, new data has revealed. The UK made up 23.46 per cent of all short positions in Europe at the end of August, up from 22.6 per cent in July, followed by Germany [...]
Deals down: Second quarter mergers and acquisitions slumps back to pre-pandemic levels September 6, 2022 The number of deals through mergers and acquisitions in the UK plunged in the second quarter of the year as market volatility sparked by war in Ukraine spooked dealmakers. There were 333 deals completed between April and June this year, a drop of 116 compared to the previous quarter and 167 fewer than the same [...]
Copper brings in Mastercard’s Tim Neill as Chief Risk Officer September 5, 2022 Digital asset platform Copper.co has appointed Mastercard high-flyer Tim Neill as Chief Risk Officer with immediate effect.
DEAL DONE: Transport for London signs funding settlement with government August 30, 2022 Transport for London (TfL) has signed a long-term funding deal with central government to keep London moving until spring 2024. It comes after two years of fraught negotiations between the TfL and the government after passenger revenues fell due to the pandemic’s impact. The deal was signed off by Transport for London at a board [...]
Pubs and brewers at risk from energy crisis, warn UK’s biggest pub companies August 30, 2022 Pubs and brewers across the UK are at risk of closure within months amid price hikes upwards of 300 per cent, industry bosses have warned. Bosses of six of the UK’s biggest pub and brewing companies have signed an open letter to the Government urging it to act in order to avoid “real and serious [...]
FTSE Reshuffle: Abrdn head for trap-door from the FTSE 100 August 29, 2022 FUND MANAGER Abrdn is set to exit the FTSE 100 this week as part of a wider FTSE reshuffle. Shares in the asset manager have fallen just shy of 40 per cent since the turn of the year, with analysts blaming global uncertainty and economic troubles. “Huge geopolitical uncertainty, sky high inflation and worries about [...]
Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant: UN team moves in as shelling nearby risks leaks August 29, 2022 A TEAM from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog touched down in Ukraine yesterday amid ongoing concern that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya is becoming a hotspot for conflict. The Zaporizhzhya plant sits on the Dnipro River and has been under Russian control since March, though remains staffed by Ukrainians. Shelling in the vicinity [...]
Carbon dioxide shortage: No taxpayer bailout forthcoming this time August 25, 2022 THERE will be no repeat of a taxpayer-backed financial package to tackle the country’s coming carbon dioxide shortage, City A.M. understands. Ammonia producer CF Fertilisers yesterday announced it would be halting production of the fertiliser at its Teesside plant due to too-high energy costs. Carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product of that process and [...]