Hambro SPAC ditches merger talks with biotech firm January 30, 2023 Hambro Perks Acquisition Company (HPAC), a pioneering special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), has abandoned plans for a merger with biotech firm Istesso. HPAC, which became the first SPAC to float in London in November 2021 after regulators overhauled UK rules, had been in talks with Istesso over a planned merger. Istesso is part-owned by London-listed [...]
FCA landed on ‘suspiciously round numbers’ to justify greenwashing rules, top MP claims January 30, 2023 The chair of the influential Treasury committee has slammed the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) over its planned 'greenwashing' rules, claiming the regulator landed on "suspiciously round numbers" to justify the plans and questioned the methodology it used to reach its conclusions.
UK investors facing dividend drop-off as inflation squeezes profits January 30, 2023 Investors in UK firms are facing a drop-off in dividends this year as rising costs cause firms to rein in their payouts following a bumper 2022, according to new data.
BP vulnerable to takeover as London bargain hunt continues, top analyst predicts January 29, 2023 UK oil and gas firms could be on the receiving end of a wave of takeovers this year as investors swoop on historically cheap London-listed companies, a top analyst has predicted.
FCA to take swift action against firms flouting consumer duty rules, lawyers warn January 29, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority is expected to take swift action against firms that fail to comply with new rules to protect savers and retail investors, City lawyers have warned. The City watchdog announced a major overhaul to consumer regulation last summer in the new Consumer Duty, which is set to shift greater onus onto companies [...]
Competition watchdog is asked to step in over pricing spat between Wise and Atlantic Money January 27, 2023 Money transfer firm Wise has been reported to the competition watchdog after removing one of its smaller, cheaper competitors from its price comparison tools. London-listed Wise, which offers its own comparison tool as well as a number of others on external sites, has removed or delisted any mention of Atlantic Money’s cheaper service, in a [...]
Bank dealmaking slumped to a five year low in 2022 – will it rebound this year? January 26, 2023 Mergers and acquisitions involving Europe’s top lenders slumped to their lowest level in five years last year as aggressive moves by central banks spooked dealmakers, new research has revealed.
NYSE temporarily halts trading after glitch caused abnormal swings in share prices January 24, 2023 The New York Stock Exchange halted trading in dozens of stocks following market open this morning after an apparent glitch in its system. Morgan Stanley, AMC Entertainment, McDonalds and Unilever were among the major firms to have had their shares frozen by the exchange, according to its website. A number of other stocks were frozen [...]
Exclusive: Major Home REIT tenant on the brink of collapse after failing to win benefits backing January 24, 2023 One of the biggest tenants of troubled property investor Home REIT has stopped paying rent and is on the brink of going under as it struggles to secure sign off for government-backed housing benefits, City A.M. has learned. Lotus Sanctuary, which provides supported housing and accounts for 12.2 per cent of former Home REIT’s rental [...]
Oaknorth and Atom Bank call on Grant Shapps to boost lending to small businesses January 24, 2023 The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and a group of top fintech firms, including Oaknorth and Atom Bank, have called on Grant Shapps to improve small businesses’ access to borrowing, warning that failure to do so could further damage the UK’s economic growth prospects. The business lobby and a number of fintech lenders have warned [...]
