Thames Water launches £3bn emergency fundraising drive October 25, 2024 Thames Water has launched a £3bn fundraising drive to help pay off some of the struggling utility’s large debt pile. The water company has just £500m in cash, and hopes the new money will extend its ability to function for at least another year. Thames Water said today that the money will allow the firm [...]
CMA launches merger inquiry into Alphabet and Anthropic partnership October 24, 2024 Britain's competition watchdog has opened a merger inquiry into Alphabet's partnership with artificial intelligence (AI) safety start-up Anthropic.
Vodafone and Three hit back at regulator’s concerns in merger battle September 30, 2024 Vodafone and Three have pushed back against the regulator’s concerns over their proposed £15bn merger, insisting that “outstanding issues can be resolved,” following the latest findings from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a response published today, the telecom firms said they “remain confident” in the deal, which would combine two of the UK’s [...]
CVS: Vet probe weighs on profit but fundamentals ‘strong’ September 26, 2024 Veterinary group CVS has said that a competition probe into the vet sector, plus cost of living pressures and a cyber attack, negatively affected its performance over the last year. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a formal probe into the sector in May. CVS shares plunged 20 per cent after the announcement, and [...]
Why Google faces millions in fines from global regulators September 24, 2024 Google is up against the growing wrath of regulators worldwide, as it faces the possibility of millions in fines for alleged anti-competitive practices. According to Bloomberg, the EU is preparing to investigate Google’s conduct in the digital marketplace, including whether it preferences its own services, such as Google Flights and Google Hotels, in search results. [...]
Fashion brands told to ‘stay on the right side of the law’ amid greenwashing claims September 18, 2024 Some of the most high-profile fashion brands in the UK have been warned to be clearer on their green credentials by the UK competition watchdog as it clamps down on misleading marketing. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a new sustainability compliance guide for retailers and told 17 brands to review their practices. [...]
Analysts see ‘path to approval’ for Vodafone and Three deal September 13, 2024 Although Britain’s competition watchdog has raised fresh concerns over the proposed £15bn tie-up between Vodafone and Three’s UK operations, analysts have suggested the findings of the latest probe are more positive than expected. In its provisional findings, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) flagged potential price increases for millions of mobile customers and warned of [...]
Price rises and smaller data packages: Regulator voices concerns over Vodafone’s £15bn Three merger September 13, 2024 The planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could lead to price increases for tens of millions of mobile customers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The watchdog added that the deal, which was first announced last year, could also see customers get a reduced service such as smaller data packages in their [...]
Competition watchdog takes interest in Carlsberg-Britvic merger September 10, 2024 The competition watchdog announced this morning that it had opened the first stages of an investigation into the tie-up between Carlsberg and rival drinks brand Britvic. Danish brewing giant Carlsberg agreed to acquire the British soft drinks maker for £3.3bn in July, in a significant push into the UK non-alcoholic drinks market. The CMA has [...]
Publishers rally as Google advertising antitrust trial restarts in US September 9, 2024 One month after a US court ruled that Google illegally maintained its monopoly on internet search, the tech giant is back in the dock. This time, Google’s lucrative online advertising business, which last year raked in nearly $240bn (£183bn), is under fire, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and 17 states accusing its parent company, Alphabet, of monopolising digital [...]