Ex-JP Morgan and Schroders manager launches boutique advisory May 6, 2025 A former fund manager at JP Morgan and Schroders has launched a boutique advisory firm. William Meadon, who managed the JP Morgan Claverhouse investment trust from 2012 to 2024, has launched a new firm called Steppingstone. Meadon said that the firm was launching in a bid to challenge the approach of larger firms, targeting clients [...]
City broker backs Kingsmill merger with Hovis May 6, 2025 A “merger of equals” between Kingsmill and Hovis may be necessary for the turnaround of both businesses, a City broker has said. Kingsmill-owner ABF confirmed this morning that it was exploring a merger with Hovis as one of several options for its bakery arm. ABF said the talks had been prompted by a “very challenging” [...]
IWG: Workspace platform reports record March and ups share buybacks May 6, 2025 International Workspace Group (IWG) has reported a flat first quarter and record March as it fended off macroeconomic uncertainty. The company told markets this morning that revenue was stable at $909m (£683m) in the first quarter of the year. IWG, which provides flexible workspaces for businesses and individuals, upped its share buyback programmed from $50m [...]
Kingsmill-owner ABF confirms merger talks with Hovis May 6, 2025 Kingsmill-owner ABF has confirmed it is in talks to merge with Hovis in what would become Britain’s biggest bread maker. ABF said the talks had been prompted by a “very challenging” market for its products. Rising prices of wheat and lower demand for high-calorie goods like bread have made it tougher to make a profit [...]
Magnificent Seven magic is ‘dead’, says top tech investor May 6, 2025 For years, investors have relied on the Magnificent Seven to provide massive returns. Now, one of its biggest beneficiaries has said that strategy is “mostly dead”. The small group of giant tech stocks has seen a tripling of its total weight in the S&P 500 over the last decade, and now makes up around a [...]
Private capital investment into UK business jumps 44 per cent May 6, 2025 The volume of private equity and venture capital cash flowing into UK businesses jumped by 44 per cent last year as investors increasingly look outside of London for opportunities. Private capital firms invested £29.4bn into UK businesses over 2024, compared to £20.4bn in 2023, research from the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association revealed. [...]
US dollar supremacy is slowly eroding, investors warn May 5, 2025 Investors are warning that the supremacy of the US dollar is slowly eroding, as the currency struggles to regain its position after Trump’s trade war shook confidence in US assets. The DXY index, which tracks the greenback’s performance against a basket of currencies, is down 6.5 per cent since the start of the year, and [...]
Heathrow: Sir Richard Branson eyes terminal as Virgin Atlantic and British Airways push for more control May 5, 2025 Sir Richard Branson could end up taking over one of Heathrow Airport’s terminals if the airport succumbs to pressure from airlines to reform its regulatory model. The billionaire’s airline Virgin Atlantic is plotting to seize greater control of the UK’s busiest hub alongside its long-running rival, British Airways’ parent company IAG. The two carriers are [...]
Oil prices slump to four-year low amid Opec+ production push May 5, 2025 Oil prices have slumped to a four-year low as concerns over a supply glut from Saudi Arabia and a slowing global economy rattle the sector. Brent crude, the global benchmark, has fallen more than four per cent after oil cartel OPEC+ agreed over the weekend to increase oil production by another 411,000 barrels a day [...]
Ed Miliband’s net-zero plans risk causing blackouts, says Union boss May 5, 2025 The boss of one Labour’s largest supporting unions has urged Sir Keir Starmer to ignore the “false prophets of climate fundamentalism” and rethink the current net-zero timetable. Writing in the Times, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith warned the government’s pledge to transition to clean power by 2030 could lead to blackouts akin to those in [...]
