Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’
UK IPOs predicted to rebound as London anticipates listings October 9, 2025 London IPO activity remained subdued in the third quarter of 2025, but improved market sentiment and a strong 2026 IPO pipeline suggests confidence in the capital’s flagship index is beginning to grow. Between July and September, there were just three listings on London’s secondary AIM market, raising £16.3m, according to EY-Parthenon’s market tracker. Overall, there [...]
London maintains its commanding lead as largest foreign exchange centre October 7, 2025 London has maintained its commanding lead as the world’s largest foreign exchange centre, holding nearly double the US’s share. According to the latest data from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), daily foreign exchange trading in London reached $4,745bn this year, with its global market share of 38.7 per cent nearly twice that of the [...]
Private asset funds predicted to surge over the next five years October 7, 2025 Private asset funds are expected to become a central force in driving the global economy over the next five years, after soaring to record highs in 2025. The value of private asset funds has surged 9.6 per cent this year to date, to a record $14.05 trillion (£10.46 trillion), a striking 77 per cent rise [...]
IPO woes: Can LED face masks and tinned tuna IPOs revitalise London? October 4, 2025 The City heaved a sigh of relief on Friday morning, as two companies ploughed ahead with their plans to list on the London market, signalling that an IPO drought that has long plagued the London bourse may soon come to an end. The Beauty Tech Group announced the successful pricing of its initial public offering [...]
Tesla breaks sales record but European slump persists October 2, 2025 Tesla delivered nearly half a million vehicles in the third quarter, a record for the electric carmaker, even as it continued to lose ground in Europe to Chinese and European rivals. Elon Musk’s car giant exported 497,099 vehicles between July and September 2025, up 29 per cent on the previous quarter and seven per cent [...]
Why is the pharmaceutical industry turning its back on the UK? September 18, 2025 Since coming into power last year, Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer have consistently stressed the importance of the life science sector to the UK economy, viewing it as critical for growth. In its aim to boost the industry’s standing, Labour pledged to make the UK an attractive place for investment and innovation, and to increase [...]
UK investors flock back to developed markets as economic fears ease September 17, 2025 Retail investors are regaining confidence in the UK and US markets as they lose patience with emerging markets performance. Over a third of UK retail investors view the domestic market as able to offer the strongest long-term opportunities, according to the latest research from investment platform eToro. The US economy’s improving performance has also lured [...]
Labour using ‘sticking plasters’ and failing to attract foreign investment September 11, 2025 The Labour government is opting to use quick “sticking plasters” which fail to affect long-term change to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), according to a new report. The report from Caudwell Strong Britain, a research project of think tank Council on Geostrategy, argues that the government needs to remove the structural barriers that hinder foreign [...]
UK infrastructure funding set to break record highs September 8, 2025 UK infrastructure financing deals are on track to reach a record high this year as investors compete to secure assets while the government signs off on a number of major new projects. According to analysis from data provider Infralogic, roughly $38bn (£28.13bn) of debt was issued in the first eight months of this year on [...]
Private equity deals bounce back after sluggish start to the year September 5, 2025 UK private equity deals bounced back in the later stage of the first half of 2025, as investors became increasingly optimistic about growth opportunities. The total deal value for UK private equity deals dropped 5.3 per cent to £55.7bn, broadly mirroring the rest of Europe, according to new analysis from financial data platform PitchBook. However, [...]