Buy now, pay later providers set for £3bn hit in ‘regulatory reset’ February 11, 2026 Providers of buy now, pay later services are set to feel the crunch as the UK’s financial watchdog tightens its regulatory focus on the fast-growing industry. Merchants and lenders are set to take a combined hit of as much as £3bn following the regulation overhaul by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), according to its own [...]
FCA to publish London share trading data to defend UK public markets February 9, 2026 The City watchdog is planning to start collecting and publishing all available data on share-trading in an attempt to show that liquidity in UK public markets is not as bad as it is often thought. The plans will act as a stopgap until the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issues its ‘consolidated tape’ of trading data [...]
Visma hesitation tests London’s IPO revival February 5, 2026 Plans for what would be London’s biggest float in years are being held, as a brutal sell-off in global software stocks forces private equity to rethink. Visma, the €19bn (£16.6bn) software group backed by Hg Capital, may delay a London listing until the second half of the year, after markets turned sharply against the sector. [...]
Musk’s mega merger raises stakes for SpaceX IPO February 4, 2026 Musk’s decision to absorb xAI into SpaceX may strengthen its growth narrative ahead of a mooted IPO. Or, it could add a trifecta of complexity, regulatory exposure and executive risk at a particularly sensitive moment. The all-stock deal values the combined group at around $1.25 trillion (£910bn), making it the world’s most valuable private company [...]
Exclusive: Starling’s top investor withdraws support for London IPO February 4, 2026 Starling’s elusive billionaire backer has gone cold on his ambition for the digital bank to list in London, City AM can reveal, in a move that will heighten fears of the fintech heading to New York for its highly-anticipated IPO. Harald McPike had lobbied for the group to launch its initial public offering in London [...]
Musk’s SpaceX swallows xAI ahead of mega IPO February 3, 2026 Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has acquired his AI firm xAI in a deal valuing the combined business at roughly $1.25 trillion (£910bn) as the billionaire tightens control of his empire, ahead of a long-trailed IPO. The all-stock transaction, announced on SpaceX’s own website on Monday, values SpaceX at about $1 trillion, and xAI at [...]
CAB Payments rejects ‘highly opportunistic’ Helios takeover bid February 2, 2026 London fintech CAB Payments has pushed back against another takeover proposal from African-focused private investment giant Helios. The firm – which was behind the “worst IPO of the year” in 2023 – has said the increased takeover proposal from a consortium led by Helios Investment Partners was “highly opportunistic” and undervalued the company’s future. Helios [...]
Is Musk’s SpaceX IPO date written in the stars? January 28, 2026 SpaceX may be aiming for the stars in more ways than one as Elon Musk has floated the idea of timing the rocket maker’s IPO to coincide with a rare planetary alignment, as well as his own birthday. The tentative window is mid-June, when Jupiter and Venus will appear unusually close together in the night sky, a [...]
Loveholidays eyes £1bn London IPO as soon as March January 27, 2026 London’s public markets could be set for a blockbuster £1bn spring listing from one of Britain’s largest online travel agents, giving the bourse welcome momentum in the new year after a strong end to 2025. Loveholidays’ private equity owners, Livingbridge, has reportedly added Investec to its roster of banks preparing to launch a listing. According [...]
Traditional legal model shaken by investor interest and IPO ambitions January 26, 2026 External investment is increasing in mid-size legal firms, according to a new report, which revealed that nearly 70 per cent of firms have been approached by private equity investors or PE-backed entities in the last year. New data from MHA, in conjunction with the Law Society, shared with City AM, shows that the majority of [...]