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 [...]
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 [...]