Pisces’ first birthday was an intimate affair September 10, 2026 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 [...]
Gym Group upgrades outlook as Gen-Z shrugs off heatwave and World Cup September 9, 2026 Gym Group has upgraded its outlook after tempting Gen-Zers into its gyms throughout the summer, despite the distractions of the World Cup and multiple heatwaves. Will Orr, chief executive of the no-frills gym provider, said the group is still on course to deliver three per cent sales growth despite a “noisy macro [environment], some hot [...]
Value of UK deals rockets as buyers pounce on FTSE 100 firms September 9, 2026 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 [...]
Football multi-club ownership firm seeks London Stock Exchange bond issue September 8, 2026 An ambitious London-based firm looking to create a football multi-club network and sell bonds on the London Stock Exchange has smashed its first fundraising goal. The Football Factory raised over £100,000 at an £8m pre-money valuation this week ahead of a Series A round and a bond sell-off – in one or both of London [...]
Activist investor accuses The Works of unfairly swaying crucial vote September 7, 2026 The activist investor seeking to tighten its grip on The Works has accused the retailer’s board of attempting to sway a crucial shareholder vote. Kelso, a London-listed activist investor, has been locked in a weeks-long row with the arts and craft retailer, as it attempted to convince shareholders to appoint a former Card Factory director [...]
JP Morgan eyes role on London Stock Exchange’s Pisces market September 7, 2026 JP Morgan is seeking approval to handle deals on the London Stock Exchange’s Pisces market in a sign of growing momentum behind the private bourse. The US bank is looking to join the likes of Bank of America and Rothschild in becoming a so-called registered auction agent, which would allow it to broker deals on [...]
Spire Healthcare overhauls board amid £1bn private takeover September 6, 2026 The chief executive and chair of Spire Healthcare have stepped away amid a £1bn takeover of the London-listed private hospital group. Veteran boss Justin Ash has said he will retire from the group as it “enters a new phase with strong foundations” under its new ownership by a consortium of investors. Spire’s board have agreed [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 wavers as weak housebuilding drives faster construction downturn September 4, 2026 Welcome back to City AM‘s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue chip index made a soft start on Friday morning, as investors brace for a US jobs report and digest the latest signs of a worsening downturn in the UK’s construction sector. Borrowing costs have eased slightly, after a global rout on government bonds threatened [...]
Surge in third-party funding sparks wave in FTSE shareholder lawsuits September 4, 2026 A surge in the availability of third-party funding has triggered a wave of speculative FTSE shareholder lawsuits as investors seek to cash in on claims of wrongdoing. Over the last year, multiple blue-chip names, including gambling giant Entain, smoking tycoon British American Tobacco (BAT), and fast fashion retailer Boohoo, have been summoned before the High [...]
Services sector cuts jobs for nearly two years under cost pressures September 3, 2026 Employment in the UK’s services sector dropped for the 23rd consecutive month in August as businesses maintained hiring freezes and trimmed headcounts following cost pressures. S&P’s latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the services industry – which is closely monitored by economists – revealed the sector has continued its longest continuous stretch of workforce reductions [...]