Burnham shelves Thames Water administration plans over costs Politics Andy Burnham has paused plans to take public control of Thames Water over fears that it could saddle the taxpayer with a bill running into the billions of pounds. The Prime Minister had been considering putting the struggling utility into a special administration regime (SAR), which would allow the government to take partial control of [...]
Thames Water creditors expect Burnham talks despite legal contigency plans Politics The creditors bidding to rescue Thames Water remain confident they will be able to present a revised takeover proposal to Andy Burnham’s government, despite preparing for the possibility ministers reject the deal, a source told City AM. People close to the London & Valley Water (L&VW) consortium said they expected to engage with the new [...]
Waterstones to book chairman as London listing gains pace Retail Bookselling titan Waterstones is on the hunt for a chairman as it picks up the pace on its rumoured London listing. Elliott Management, the activist equity firm which owns Waterstones, has hired headhunters at Russell Reynolds Associates to draw up a list of candidates to join the bookseller’s board. This is the latest signal that [...]
LSEG unveils biggest-ever buyback as firm fends off Elliott and AI threat February 26, 2026 The operator of the London Stock Exchange has unveiled its biggest-ever buyback as the company fends off the dual threats of activist investor pressure and shareholder fears over the rise of AI. LSEG said it would buy back at least £3bn of shares over the next twelve months, adding to the £2.1bn buyback carried out [...]
Activist investor Elliott builds up stake in LSEG February 11, 2026 Activist investor Elliott Management has built a significant stake in the London Stock Exchange Group as it looks to engineer a turnaround for the stock exchange operator. The hedge fund has been holding conversations with David Schwimmer, LSEG’s chief executive, according to a report in the Financial Times. The size of the stake could not [...]
Elliott turns the page on London’s IPO drought with Waterstones listing plan December 18, 2025 Elliott Management is preparing a multibillion-pound flotation of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, with a listing expected next year and London edging out New York as the preferred venue. The US hedge fund has reportedly begun sounding out advisers ahead of a potential IPO, with banks likely to be appointed in early 2026. While no [...]
Thames Water: Creditors set out rescue plan with £20.5bn investment September 3, 2025 A consortium of Thames Water creditors have laid out plans for how a £20.5bn investment would “fix the foundations” of the UK’s biggest water supplier. The group of 15 investors, known as the London & Valley Water consortium, are set to focus on improving the firm’s record on pollution and sewage leaks – with an [...]
Thames Water lenders offer £17bn plan, push Ofwat for ‘regulatory reset’ June 10, 2025 A group of Thames Water’s major creditors have put forward a sweeping, multibillion-pound rescue deal, while calling for forgiveness of historic fines from Ofwat. Major investment firms, including Aberdeen and Elliott Management, are among the investors, who have said they have “the funding and experience required to deliver a transformation of the company’s performance which is intended [...]
Elliott takes up £3.8bn stake in BP February 13, 2025 Notorious activist investor Elliott Management has taken up a £3.8bn stake in BP, becoming the ailing oil major’s third-largest shareholder, according to reports. The US fund’s investment in the London-listed petrochemical giant emerged last weekend, shortly before BP reported an anaemic set of full-year results that saw its profit slump to $8.9bn (£7.9bn). The earnings [...]
London Metal Exchange hires veteran Credit Suisse executive in modernisation push September 16, 2024 The London Metal Exchange has added veteran banker Robert Arbuthnott to its executive team as the marketplace looks to modernise and rebuild its reputation after a high-profile legal battle.