Coca-Cola HBC in £2bn Africa takeover October 21, 2025 London-listed bottling business Coca-Cola HBC is to acquire Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in a $3.4bn (£1.9bn) deal. The cash-and-shares deal, which will be part-funded by a new bridge debt facility, will see a transfer of the ownership of the African bottling business after 85 years of ownership by the South African Gutsche family. The move will [...]
In focus: Getty and Shutterstock merger gets CMA probe October 20, 2025 The $3.7bn (£2.7bn) merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock is to be the subject of an in-depth probe from the UK’s competition watchdog after ‘substantial concerns’ were flagged. The deal, which was first announced in January, had already attracted the eye of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June but will now be looked into [...]
Natwest in talks to sell pension provider Cushon September 19, 2025 Natwest is gearing up to sell pension provider Cushon just two years after it first acquired the business. The bank has lined up advisers to help work on a sale of the London fintech and is already in talks with a number of potential suitors, according to a report by Sky News. Natwest acquired an [...]
Lord Alan Sugar sells part of empire to media giant Bauer September 17, 2025 Lord Alan Sugar has sold a part of his business empire to one of the largest media giants in the country. Amscreen, which produces digital signage, has been taken over by Bauer Media Group, according to new filings with Companies House. The division formed part of Lord Sugar’s Amshold Group and is headquartered in Bolton, Lancashire. [...]
Foreign takeovers risk turning UK into an ‘incubator economy’ September 15, 2025 The UK is facing a time crunch to avoid becoming an “incubator economy” as foreign takeovers continue to sweep the London market. A collection of top venture capital investors and founders have called for crucial reforms to the markets ecosystem with a focus on pensions and the IPO environment. The reforms, as outlined in a [...]
Top Tory slams Anglo American’s move to relocate HQ to Canada September 9, 2025 Anglo American will merge with Canada’s Teck Resources in a $50bn (£36bn) deal, shifting its headquarters to Canada and reducing its London presence in a move criticised by shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith. The Tory MP said it represents a blow to UK business and confidence in London. The new entity, to be called Anglo [...]
London fintech Monese says it needs more cash to survive after Pockit takeover September 9, 2025 Monese has warned it will need fresh investment if it is to survive for another year as the London fintech embarks on a change in strategy to put itself on a firmer financial footing. The current account and money transfer business, which last year was acquired by fintech firm Pocket in a rescue deal, said [...]
Foreign takeovers to propel UK M&A volumes above £50bn September 3, 2025 UK markets are bracing for a major bump in mergers and acquisitions with the total value of deals expected to top £50bn in 2025. Fresh data from the Office for National Statistics showed the value of domestic deals jumped to £3.4bn in the second quarter, up £600m from the first three months of the year. [...]
Coca-Cola considers grounds for sale of Costa August 23, 2025 Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has called in bankers for exploratory talks regarding a sale of coffee chain Costa. The Coca-Cola company, which acquired Costa over six years ago, has held talks with a number of potential bidders including private equity firms, according to Sky News. Investment bank Lazard is working with the firm to explore [...]
End of Windows 10 support will trigger wave of upgrades, Westcoast says August 18, 2025 A withdrawal of support for Windows 10 is likely to trigger a rush to upgrade systems before the deadline, the UK’s biggest IT supplier has said as it posted a jump in sales. The Windows 10 operating system, which was introduced by Microsoft in July 2015, will no longer be supported from October 14 2025 [...]