Astrazeneca plots huge $50bn US investment after ditching UK expansion plans July 22, 2025 Astrazeneca has unveiled plans to invest as much as $50bn in manufacturing and R&D in the US after ditching its UK expansion plans in a blow to the government’s industrial strategy. The Cambridge-based pharma giant said it will spend the huge sum over the next five years, including on a new manufacturing facility in Virginia, [...]
Wise co-founders clash over New York listing plans July 21, 2025 A plan to move Wise’s primary listing from London to New York has been thrown into doubt after one of the firm’s co-founders urged shareholders to vote against the move. Taavet Hinrikus, who served as chief executive of the London fintech from its founding in 2011 until 2017, warned he was “deeply troubled” over the [...]
Wealth tax would be a ‘dangerous road to go down’, BNP investment chief warns July 21, 2025 The chief investment officer at BNP Paribas Wealth Management has become the latest senior banker to warn over plans to introduce a wealth tax in the UK, describing the move a “dangerous road to go down.” In an interview with City AM, Edmund Shing said the move was likely to discourage entrepreneurs from starting a [...]
Microsoft offers ‘pay-as-you-go’ software concession to cloud rivals after bowing to pressure July 18, 2025 Microsoft will allow its cloud rivals to offer ‘pay-as-you-go’ software to their customers after bowing to pressure over its licensing practices. The US tech giant attracted criticism for the way it offered exclusive software deals to customers of its Azure cloud platform, which rivals said made it difficult for them to compete. But in a [...]
Government must ‘take its head out of the sand’ after jobs plunge July 17, 2025 Small businesses have urged the government to “take its head out of the sand” over tax hikes and a flurry of fresh employment regulations after the Office for National Statistics reported another consecutive month of jobs losses. Responding to Thursday’s unemployment figures, the Federation for Small Businesses said the jobs plunge was “disturbing” and that [...]
Wise shares tumble ahead of switch to US primary listing July 17, 2025 Wise shares sunk on Thursday morning after the London fintech disappointed analysts in a trading update ahead of its upcoming switch to a US primary listing. The £12bn money transfer business reported a 24 per cent rise in quarterly cross-border volume to £41.2bn in the three months to end June, while customer holdings grew by [...]
Sadiq Khan to host first-ever mayoral London-Africa business summit July 17, 2025 Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans to host the first-ever mayoral London-Africa business summit next year in a bid to deepen trading ties with the continent. According to the mayor, the summit will bring together entrepreneurs and investors, state officials, trade groups and stock exchanges from across the continent, with the aim of promoting London as [...]
Barclays battles to take down scam impersonation website July 16, 2025 Barclays has battled to take down a scam impersonation website that could have stolen millions from its customers. The website, which called itself “Barclays Finance”, featured the Barclays logo and included “Barclays” in its domain name, was identified by City AM on Monday and claimed to be able to process money transfer payments on behalf [...]
FCA staff threaten industrial action over three-days-a-week office policy July 16, 2025 Union representatives for the UK’s financial watchdog the FCA have threatened industrial action if staff are made to come into the office more than two days a week. In an open letter to the board of the FCA, Unite the Union said more than 90 per cent of its members would take action if the [...]
‘Golden opportunity’ for European equities, says CEO of stock exchange SIX July 16, 2025 Europe must seize a “golden opportunity” for the revival of its capital markets, the boss of one of the continent’s biggest stock exchange businesses has said, as he called for stronger retail participation in equities to keep pace with the US. Six CEO Bjorn Sibbern, who earlier this month completed the £225m takeover of London-based [...]