Mark Kleinman: Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? January 30, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week, he tackles pay rows at Barclays, how WH Smith is clinging on and a floating debate for Monzo Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? There was a time when Barclays and public [...]
EG Group: From a Bury service station to a $13bn IPO January 14, 2025 EG Group is set to end 24 years as a private company with a $13bn float on the New York Stock Exchange, according to reports. Co-founder of EG Group and current non-executive, Zuber Issa, told the Sunday Times that “the road map is starting now” on an IPO, with the float expected to complete this [...]
Chauffeur firm Blacklane looks to ‘double down’ on London after Saudi cash injection January 13, 2025 Luxury chauffeur service Blacklane is looking to “double down” on London after announcing its largest-ever funding round late last year. The Berlin-based firm, which counts Mercedes-Benz and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)’s Tasaru Mobility among its investors, raised £53.5m in October amid long-running reports of a possible Initial Public Offering (IPO). Blacklane’s airport transfer [...]
Flutter: Paddy Power owner loses over £300m on bad US bets January 8, 2025 Flutter, the gambling giant owner of Paddy Power, has downgraded its revenue estimates for 2024 by $390m (£312m) after a period of “very unfavourable US sports results”. In a stock exchange notice, the Fanduel owner reported that November and December had seen a surge in unfavourable results for the bookie, especially in American football parlay [...]
‘Horrified’: Shein lambasted by MPs as fast fashion firm dodges questions January 7, 2025 Fast fashion retailer Shein was lambasted by MPs and accused of behaviour that “bordered on contempt” today after a representative of the firm repeatedly refused to answer questions over its supply chain practices and upcoming IPO. The Chinese-founded retailer, which is reportedly gearing up to list on the London Stock Exchange this year, has faced [...]
Lloyd’s of London insurer snubs the City with New York IPO plans January 6, 2025 A Lloyd’s of London insurer has dealt a fresh blow to the City by snubbing the London Stock Exchange in favour of New York for its planned IPO, piling fresh pressure on the capital’s bourse after it shrank at the fastest pace on record last year. Aspen Insurance, an underwriting firm which operates out of [...]
H Samuel and Ernest Jones owner cuts loss despite £40m sales hit January 6, 2025 The company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones significantly cut its loss despite sales falling by almost £40m during its latest financial year. The Birmingham-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £483,000 for the year to 3 February, 2024, down from the £8.9m loss it posted in its prior 12 months. [...]
Monzo, Open AI, Revolut and Klarna: The IPOs to watch out for in 2025 January 3, 2025 While economic uncertainty prompted a cautious approach to IPOs in 2025, several high-profile companies are preparing to float in 2025. From leading fintechs such as Monzo, Revolut, and Klarna to global giants such as OpenAI and SpaceX, some of the most exciting growth companies in recent years could IPO this year. Here is a look [...]
Trump could be an opportunity for private equity January 3, 2025 Donald Trump is both a disruptor and a deal-maker, so it’s possible to see an emerging scenario of greater stability and security in the Middle East, which can only be a good thing for investors in the region, says Karim Souaid In a month’s time, Donald Trump will be back in the Oval Office and [...]
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 [...]