M&A activity declines as investors opt for high-value deals September 5, 2025 UK merger and acquisition (M&A) activity declined in the first half of the year, as investors sought strategic deals amid market volatility. The total deal value of UK M&A declined 12.3 per cent from £65.3bn to £57.3bn according to a report from professional services group PwC. Deal volume also softened with just 1,478 transactions in the [...]
Investors flee equity funds as valuation concerns grow September 4, 2025 Equity funds experienced their worst month of outflows since August 2022 in August, as investors shifted their cash into bonds. UK investors withdrew a staggering £1.3bn from equity funds, following a withdrawal of £1.13bn in July, according to data from funds group Calastone. Edward Glyn, head of global markets at Calastone said, “This summer, stock [...]
“Smart money” is doubling down on private equity – but are private investors missing out? September 3, 2025 Public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds and family offices keep bulking up their investments in private equity and private markets. Now, at last, private investors can get in. In July, the largest US public pension fund CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) announced its best set of results in four years. It also bulked up [...]
Apollo Global Management to launch £3.75bn sport investment vehicle September 2, 2025 New York-based Apollo Global Management is reportedly planning to launch a £3.75bn investment vehicle focused on sport. The firm, which has around £600bn in assets under management, is set to invest permanent capital into sport for the first time with the new fund. Having previously held talks with LaLiga club Atletico Madrid about acquiring a [...]
Lucrative law firm jobs remain dominated by men August 29, 2025 Lucrative senior dealmaking roles in UK law firms remain dominated by men, leaving female partners unable to make a dent in competitive areas of law. Men made up 80 per cent of partners hired into corporate and finance practices in the years 2019 to 2024, according to data from legal recruiter Edwards Gibson. Commercial and [...]
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 [...]
London businesses optimistic for future economic growth, KPMG says August 18, 2025 The vast majority of private business owners in London have recorded rocketing optimism about their growth prospects, but concerns surrounding the impact of inflation remain, according to the latest KPMG private enterprise barometer survey. Following a challenging first financial half of the year, with businesses hit with tariff turmoil and ongoing geopolitical tensions, confidence in [...]
More US investment in Premier League than other major football leagues August 18, 2025 There are more clubs in the Premier League with US investment than in any other of the major European football leagues, a new report has shown. Over half, 13, of the 20 Premier League clubs in England have US investor participation, ranging from 100 per cent ownership down to smaller stakes. The PitchBook report shows [...]
Rachel Reeves told to ‘get out of the way’ ahead of Autumn Budget August 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to “let businesses get on with it and get out of the way” ahead of delivering her second Autumn Budget in the coming months. A group of 1,500 private business leaders surveyed by KPMG said the Chancellor should focus on promoting higher wages and lower costs for companies. They [...]
Adanola valued at £400m as Kendall Jenner favourite sells stake August 6, 2025 Adanola, the athleisure brand worn by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Molly-Mae Hague and Maya Jama, has been valued at around $530m (£398m) after securing a new backer. Story3 Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in the Manchester-based label which was founded by Hyrum Cook in 2015. Other well-known personalities who are fans of [...]