FCA bans sales of crypto-derivatives to retail consumers October 6, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority has announced rules banning the sale of derivatives related to certain types of crypto-assets to retail consumers. The ban will affect the sale, marketing and distribution of any derivatives – including contracts for difference, options and futures – as well as exchange traded notes that relate to unregulated cryptoassets. Read more: [...]
Deliveroo appoints Goldman Sachs to oversee London float October 5, 2020 Deliveroo has appointed Goldman Sachs to oversee its long-awaited London flotation, according to reports, in a move that would value the UK food delivery company at more than £2bn. The Amazon-backed startup is expected to debut on the London stock market next year following discussions with the investment banking firm, Sky News reported. Deliveroo declined [...]
Crowdfunding platforms Seedrs and Crowdcube announce plans to merge October 5, 2020 Crowdfunding platforms Seedrs and Crowdcube have announced plans to merge, creating one of the world’s biggest private equity marketplaces. In a statement this morning the companies said the deal would create a “more robust” firm, allowing it to help fund more businesses. Crowdcube will acquire all of the outstanding share capital of Seedrs, with existing [...]
FCA gets green light to take insurance giants to Supreme Court over Corona policies October 5, 2020 A High Court in London approved the FCA’s request to let the Supreme Court decide on the matter in which the market regulator is seeking clarification on the wording of numerous insurance policies in relation to claims filed as a result of the pandemic.
Walmart confirms Asda sale to billionaire UK brothers in £6.8bn deal October 2, 2020 Asda is back in British ownership after Walmart today agreed a sale to the Blackburn-based Issa brothers in a £6.8bn deal.
Rebel water companies get partial support in fight over price cuts September 29, 2020 Four water companies have today won some critical support in their fight against proposals that would force them to slash household bills. As a result of the provisional ruling from the UK’s competition watchdog, Anglian, Bristol, Northumbrian and Yorkshire will be able to spend an additional £214m in investment into the UK’s creaking water infrastructure. [...]
Ex-Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe joins NHS Test and Trace September 29, 2020 Former Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe has been appointed as a director at the UK’s beleaguered coronavirus testing service. Coupe, who was once caught on camera singing “we’re in the money” in relation to a since canned merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda, has been appointed testing director of NHS Test and Trace. The former supermarket [...]
Could decarbonisation be the mega-trend of the next decade? September 28, 2020 US equities have led global stock markets higher over the past decade. In the last ten years, US equities have returned a stellar 292%, compared to just 73% for global equities (as measured by the MSCI USA Index and MSCI AC World ex US Index respectively, in US dollar terms, as at 31 August 2020). [...]
Walmart selects billionaire brothers as preferred bidders for Asda September 28, 2020 US retail giant Walmart has selected a consortium led by the billionaire brothers behind petrol station chain EG Group with private equity firm TDR Capital as the preferred bidder to buy Asda. The deal would value the UK supermarket chain at more than £6.5bn, Sky News reported. The broadcaster said that Mohsin and Zuber Issa, [...]
Former BT boss tapped to lead search for Huawei replacement September 23, 2020 Former BT chief executive and trade minister Lord Ian Livingston has been tapped to find alternative telecoms providers to replace Huawei equipment in the UK’s 5G networks. Livingston has been named as chair of a new government task force that will seek to diversify the country’s telecoms supply chain and reduce reliance on high-risk vendors. [...]