CMA to investigate Aviva’s £3.7bn Direct Line deal May 14, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog has begun an investigation into insurance giant Aviva’s proposed £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line. The Competition and Markets Authority said it had commenced its phase one inquiry to establish whether the deal would result in a “realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition.” The CMA has invited comment on the [...]
US-based pawnbroker Firstcash to buy H&T May 14, 2025 A US giant has made an offer for the UK’s largest pawnbroker, H&T, taking yet another firm off London’s stock market. The deal, which was the fourth Firstcash made to the UK firm, valued the share capital of H&T at approximately £297m. It represents a premium of approximately 44 per cent to the closing price [...]
Roc Nation boss exclusive: Rugby chiefs need to get comfortable with change May 14, 2025 The president of Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation Sports Michael Yormark has said rugby’s stakeholders need to get “comfortable being uncomfortable with change” as the sport looks to commercialise after a turbulent period. Yormark, speaking at the group’s inaugural Champions of Marketing event, told City AM that sometimes sports are “so married to history” that they’re [...]
Is Rachel Reeves breaking up with the OBR? May 14, 2025 City AM’s City Editor, Simon Hunt, unpicks the stories that get the Square Mile talking Rachel Reeves will do anything to keep the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on side. Or so we thought. The chancellor made a number of last-minute changes to her Spring Statement to ensure her fiscal headroom stayed on target, including [...]
Has MHA’s first month as a public company been a success? May 14, 2025 An investor expert notes that UK accountancy firm MHA has been listed on the London Stock Exchange for one month and has had "a decent showing" so far
Thames Tideway: Just how super is London’s new super sewer? May 14, 2025 “A national scandal,” Sadiq Khan said of the amount of sewage pumped into the River Thames last year. But it took more than the Mayor of London to spur national revulsion at the state of England’s longest river. Fast forward a few months and the spotlight had fallen on the 2024 Oxford-Cambridge boat race in [...]
Premier league players challenge use of data by betting firms May 14, 2025 A growing group of professional footballers in the UK are challenging how their personal performance data is being collected, used, and ultimately monetised. The global sports data and technology group (GSDT) has recently submitted firm “stop processing” requests on behalf of footballers and other sportspeople. This forms the latest part of its ‘project red card’ [...]
Uncertain US tariffs put Rolex, Patek Philippe and Omega in a precarious position May 14, 2025 Swiss watchmakers are nervously awaiting a positive outcome for US-Switzerland tariffs negotiations to avoid throwing the industry into chaos. On July 1, Swiss exports in the US will be slapped with a 31 per cent tariff – that is, unless the country can negotiate a deal before then. “These tariffs… place the international watch trade [...]
AI risks creating a cyber crunch for the UK’s national infrastructure May 14, 2025 The UK’s cyber watchdog has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly increase the country’s exposure to cyber attacks, especially those across its critical infrastructure, unless urgent steps are taken. In a recent report, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) argued that AI is already transforming the threat landscape, and that by 2027, it could [...]
FCA to rip up insurance rules in drive for growth May 14, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has outlined plans to ditch “outdated or duplicated” insurance rules in a bid to help firms reduce costs and drive competition. The City regulator’s fresh proposals would hand firms greater responsibility over reviewing the value of their product. This would involve companies using the risks and characteristics of each individual product [...]