Pisces’ first birthday was an intimate affair Markets The faint pop of a champagne bottle was heard in the Square Mile a few days ago, marking the first anniversary of the LSE getting a licence for Pisces – the private securities venue providing liquidity to fast-growing firms. As celebrations go, it was an intimate affair. Over the past year, just three businesses have [...]
Value of UK deals rockets as buyers pounce on FTSE 100 firms Merger/Acquisition The value of UK merger and acquisitions more than doubled in the first half of 2026 as foreign buyers capitalised on sluggish valuations to pick off some of Britain’s most valuable companies. Takeovers worth some £124bn were struck in the first six months of the year, up 107 per cent year-on-year from £60bn in the [...]
Fresh stock market raid sparks clarion call for action Markets The London Stock Exchange risks being gutted of even more blue-chip firms this year without urgent action from ministers and officials, a group of top advisers has said, after three more listed companies accepted bids from foreign buyers. The cohort warned that “complacency is not a viable option” following news that FTSE 250 firms Bodycote [...]
Britain knows how to seed a scaleup. But can it back one all the way? August 12, 2026 How do we keep high-potential tech founders headquartered in Britain, instead of watching them drift offshore, taking their growth stories with them? This question was posed to the Head of AIM & UK Primary Markets at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), and a panel of tech founders at SCALE Summit in London. On 23 April [...]
As it happened: Stocks jittery as oil nears $90; Trump ‘semi-negotiating’ with Iran August 11, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are marching higher for the fourth consecutive session, supported by new uncertainty between the US and Iran and continued agitation over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was holding above $87 per barrel on Tuesday [...]