Thames Water to avoid state bailout, the FTSE 100 at 7900 and an ITV bid: my predictions for UK plc in 2025 January 2, 2025 Predictions may generally be a mug’s game, but looking back at my forecasts for the business world in 2024, I seem to have fared better than usual. Klarna, the buy now pay later giant, opted for a New York listing; Dame Alison Rose made a comeback in a senior private equity role; Unilever announced that [...]
Investor calls for Johnson Matthey to explore sale after shares slump December 16, 2024 Standard said it believed in the "unique value of JM," but warned a "massive credbility gap" had emerged with investors and the broader market.
A requiem for UK equity capital markets December 14, 2024 London’s storied status as a global financial powerhouse is slipping away, and with every IPO that doesn’t materialise or company that decamps to the US, it becomes clearer that the City is in its death throes, says Owen Matthews As a former mid-cap ECM investment banker, I’ve watched with despair as the lights dim on [...]
London Stock Exchange owner sells Euroclear stake for £455m December 12, 2024 The owner of the London Stock Exchange has sold its minority stake in financial markets infrastructure provider Euroclear for £455m. The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said on Thursday that it completed the divestment of its 4.92 per cent holding in the Belgium-based firm. It sold the stake to TCorp, the investment and financial management [...]
Diageo: Shares in FTSE 100 Guinness, Baileys and Johnnie Walker owner are staging a comeback December 12, 2024 Shares in Diageo, the giant behind Guinness, Baileys and Johnnie Walker, are staging a comeback after falling to a historic low last month. The London-headquartered group, which also has a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, has seen its share rise to 2,581p in early trading today, up 3.6 per cent. The latest price [...]
Mark Kleinman: Unilever puts buyout firms in the deep freeze December 12, 2024 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and is the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week, he tackles Unilever’s flakey ice cream approach, Thames Water’s demanding investors, and the long-winded sale of The Observer. Anyone for an ice cream fight? The decision of FTSE-100 consumer goods behemoth Unilever to [...]
FTSE 100 giant Ashtead set to switch primary listing to the US December 10, 2024 FTSE 100 firm Ashtead has revealed plans to switch its primary listing to the US in the latest blow to the London Stock Exchange after a flood of exits this year. After months of speculation, Ashtead, which leases heavy machinery to the construction industry, said on Tuesday that the US market was its “natural long-term [...]
OakNorth boss says ‘wealth creators’ leaving UK over tax hikes December 9, 2024 The co-founder and chief executive of challenger bank OakNorth has warned that “wealth creators” are fleeing the UK over tax hikes as he accused the new government of falling short on entrepreneurship. Rishi Khosla, whose start-up bank has lent more than £10bn to businesses since launching in 2015, told City AM that “even when you [...]
London says ‘olá’ to Latin America December 9, 2024 Fuelled by a growing economy and a burgeoning middle class, there’s no better place to look for investment than Latin America, says Vincent Keaveny Despite challenges to its leadership, London has fought to retain its top position in the global financial sector. The City of London Corporation’s 2024 benchmark saw the capital just about beat [...]
Revolut crowdfunders in line for 400 times return on investment December 5, 2024 Some of Revolut’s earliest investors are in line for 400 times returns after taking a punt on a fledgling fintech that has grown into a banking titan. The British start-up’s early backers, including participants in two crowdfunding rounds, have been offered the chance to sell down their holdings in a secondary share sale. Brokered by [...]