UK competition watchdog to investigate Central England Co-op funeral deal August 16, 2021 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will investigate the deal by the Central England Co-op to snap up part of its rival in the funeral care business, the Midcounties Co-op. The UK competition regulator said today it is considering whether the merger deal “may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition” within [...]
Chasing Tesla: how traditional carmakers are revving up their electric vehicle production August 16, 2021 Equities generally had a strong year in 2020, but few parts of the market could match the runaway share price gains of the pure electric vehicle (EV) makers. Tapping into investor (and day trader) demand for two popular themes – tech and sustainability – such companies became extremely highly sought after. US group Tesla is [...]
Sajid Javid cuts cost of NHS Covid test for travel to £68 August 14, 2021 In a bid to help holidaymakers and drive down the market rate for Covid tests for travel, the health secretary has cut the cost of the travel tests that the NHS provides from £88 to £68 each. Travellers returning from green and amber list countries to England will now pay £20 less per PCR test, [...]
UK competition watchdog investigating ‘immediate’ government action on PCR test prices August 13, 2021 The UK competition regulator has said it is exploring what immediate action the government can take to quash the hugely variable prices charged by private providers of Covid PCR tests for travel, after the health secretary, MPs and the travel industry called for an intervention. In a statement published yesterday, the Competition and Markets Authority [...]
Screenshot: Can the City harness the power of the Netflix model? August 13, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Victoria Derbyshire’s heels hiccup **Can the City harness the power of the Netflix model? **The CMA goes for GIFs Media Moment of the Week: Victoria Derbyshire’s heels hiccup Late on Wednesday evening prolific BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire tweeted to say she’d be on air three times in a [...]
Premier League 2021-22 season preview: Fans of London clubs name their best and worst case scenarios and their players to watch August 13, 2021 For even the most jaded of football supporters, the start of a Premier League season is a special time. The arrival of new managers and players promises to transform fortunes, while last year’s disappointments have faded sufficiently to allow optimism to break out again, at least until the first round of games. So ahead of [...]
CMA backs Ofgem cuts to energy network returns August 11, 2021 The competition watchdog has today ruled in favour of Ofgem’s plans to slash returns for investors in the UK’s energy network. In its provisional ruling, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) knocked back the appeals of several of the country’s biggest energy suppliers, but acknowledged that the energy regulator had erred in some areas. It [...]
Strategic asset allocation or how I learned to stop worrying and love dispersion August 10, 2021 For decades, strategic asset allocation has been considered the driving force behind investment portfolio returns. But the old adage that allocation determines 90 per cent of performance is rapidly becoming outdated. During 2020 and 2021, we have seen how the world of investing is shifting from one in which declining interest rates drive beta performance [...]
Britain 2030: Can the tech success story continue? August 10, 2021 As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the UK economy, one plucky industry has continued its upward march unabashed. In an understated but significant milestone last month, the British tech sector welcomed its 100th unicorn — a private company valued at $1bn or more — becoming the first country in Europe to do so. [...]
Groupon wrapped on knuckles by CMA for consumer experience August 9, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has given voucher scheme operator Groupon a warning over its treatment of customers. Refunds and replacement items were sometimes replaced by so-called credits, according to the Competition and Markets Authority. Groupon has pledged to “cooperate fully.” The watchdog said: “The CMA has found evidence that Groupon does not always provide customers [...]