BP eyes finalising sale of solar arm to Kuwait-backed wealth fund July 25, 2026 Oil giant BP is in advanced talks to sell its solar power business to an investor backed by Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund as it moves away from pushing net zero. Private equity firm Qualitas Energy, and Wren House, the infrastructure arm of Kuwait Investment Authority, have joined forces to bid for Lighthouse, BP’s solar business. [...]
Clifford Chance partners pocket £2.3m as private markets drive growth July 22, 2026 Magic circle firm Clifford Chance’s revenue surpassed £2.6bn for the first time, largely driven by the surge in private market work. The firm’s revenue was up 9 per cent from £2.4bn last year, as the Canary Wharf-headquartered firm said that while all service lines performed well, the hike was driven largely by “momentum in the private markets” [...]
As it happened: John Healey named Chancellor as Burnham shakes-up cabinet July 20, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Andy Burnham has become the UK’s newest Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer just two years after his landslide win at the 2024 general election. Starmer visited the King this morning to give him his resignation. In his farewell speech outside Number 10, the outgoing Prime Minister said [...]
Aegon warns red tape is blocking pension investment spree July 16, 2026 Aegon has warned that regulation is holding back some of Britain’s top pension fund managers from pumping cash into the country’s start-ups and unlisted companies. The pension giant, which manages £160bn of assets in the UK alone, was one of 11 companies alongside Aviva and Legal & General to commit to investing five per cent [...]
Pension funds pledged a private investment splurge. Three years on, has anything changed? July 15, 2026 When 11 of the UK’s largest pension providers signed a deal to pump billions into unlisted companies in July 2023, the mood at Mansion House in the City was celebratory. Then Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hailed the signing a “great personal triumph” for then Lord Mayor, Sir Nicholas Lyons. If the remainder of the UK defined [...]
AI is driving a VC investment boom July 15, 2026 The UK has landed some of the biggest megadeals in history, but it must double down on tech investment to keep its crown, says Nicole Lowe The UK is currently riding on the crest of a wave of near-record-breaking levels of venture capital investment and I’m delighted that it shows no sign of coming to [...]
SailGP, rugby and PJL: Inside the new £50m budget sporting asset class July 14, 2026 With big money tickets ever harder to find, investors are looking far and wide for their next affordable investment. Big-money takeovers will always catch the eye; whether that be the multi-billion-pound purchase of Chelsea by a Todd Boehly-fronted consortium from Roman Abramovich, the £1.3bn takeover of Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a [...]
Plus500 revenue surges as US prediction markets drive growth July 13, 2026 Plus500 reported a rise in revenue after the trading platform pushed into the surging US prediction markets. Revenue reached a three year record high, increasing 12 per cent year on year to $462.9m (£346m). The firm also pinned the performance on “heightened market volatility”. Earnings before tax remained flat at $187.5m, after growth was offset [...]
Fixing the £100,000 tax trap would be a bold first step – let’s not undermine it by taxing investment more July 9, 2026 Lord O’Neill is right to call for reform of the £100,000 tax trap, but taxing capital gains more heavily could end up costing the Treasury £8bn, says Michael Healy This week, a group of leading economists led by Lord O’Neill called for a fundamental overhaul of the UK’s tax system. Their argument that Britain has [...]
Schroders sells financial planning arm as it accelerates high net-worth shift July 6, 2026 Schroders has agreed to sell its advice business Benchmark Capital to Swedish wealth firm Soderberg & Partners as it accelerates a shift toward wealth management and high net-worth clients. Under the terms of the deal, Schroders will become a long-term asset manager to Soderberg & Partners and exit direct ownership of the financial planning business. [...]