UK equity markets could do with some shock therapy February 20, 2025 My favourite explanation as to why UK pension funds have shrunk their investments in UK equities from around 50 per cent in the 1990s to a paltry 3 per cent today was offered to me recently by one of the City’s veteran fund managers; “You can trace it all back to the day that crook [...]
Glencore: FTSE 100 miner mulls ditching London February 19, 2025 Glencore became the latest company to warn it could ditch its London listing today in a move that has been described as a “sucker punch” to UK markets. Speaking to the media after the miner’s results today, Glencore chief Gary Nagle said that questions had been raised over whether the UK was the right place [...]
Shein: Discounted valuation would give IPO a ‘better chance of going ahead’ February 17, 2025 Fast-fashion giant Shein is under investor pressure to slash its valuation by two thirds from its all time high should it go ahead with its long-awaited float on the London Stock Exchange later this year, according to a report. Shen was valued at $66bn (£52bn) in a funding round in 2023 and as high as [...]
Assura: FTSE 250 firm rejects £1.5bn takeover approach February 17, 2025 FTSE 250 healthcare real estate investment trust Assura has rejected a takeover offer worth more than £1.5m – the fourth such deal it has turned down in the last six months it has been revealed. The Altrincham-headquartered business hit the headlines at the end of last week when it emerged it had been approached by [...]
FTSE 250 Assura receives unsolicited takeover approach February 15, 2025 Assura, the FTSE 250 healthcare real estate investment trust, has received an unsolicited takeover approach from private equity giant KKR and a major universities pension scheme. The Altrincham-headquartered company confirmed late on Friday that it had been contacted by KKR and USS Investment Management, which is representing Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The parties have until [...]
Shein: Tariffs and cheap goods crackdown could hit London listing February 14, 2025 Fast-fashion retailer Shain faces an uncertain future amid the threat of Trump tariffs and a crackdown on the sale of cheap goods overseas. There were rumours that Shein planned to list in London with a £50bn float around this Easter, but according to the FT, this boon for London’s market is likely to be shelved [...]
Clashes, drama and heaps of debt: Inside the dramatic collapse of RBG Holdings February 14, 2025 Trading suspended, lawyers fleeing and pending insolvency. What happened at the listed legal business RBG Holding?
Wood Group shares plunge as Deloitte review finds ‘material failures’ February 14, 2025 Wood Group shares have plunged 31 per cent in early deals this morning after a Deloitte review identified “material weaknesses and failures” across the business. The firm said it is initiating steps to “significantly” strengthen its financial culture, governance and controls after a review In a trading update, the London-listed engineering giant also announced plans [...]
Former City minister Bim Afolami joins QCA with ‘unfinished business’ February 13, 2025 Former City minister minister Bim Afolami has joined the Quoted Companies Alliance board, in a ‘coup’ for the trade body that supports smaller and medium-sized listed companies. The former Tory MP and minister responsible for the Square Mile will sit on the QCA’s board, as it works to champion Britain’s small and medium-sized publicly traded [...]
Tired of London: Why is the capital losing hope? February 12, 2025 City dwellers tend to be more optimistic about their neighbourhood than those who live in town but, worryingly, London is bucking the trend. We all have a stake in our capital’s success. So what’s going wrong? Asks Simon Clarke “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Samuel Johnson’s famous aphorism [...]