From Woodford to the leasehold scandal, here are the big personal finance stories of 2019 December 11, 2019 December is usually the season to be jolly and reflect on the past year — though perhaps it doesn’t feel that way as we head to the polls tomorrow. Nonetheless, as the year comes to a close, let’s look at the big personal finance stories of 2019, which may give us some clues about what’s [...]
Watchdog gives green light for Ovo Energy’s £500m SSE deal December 10, 2019 The competition watchdog has given the green light to Ovo Energy’s £500m takeover of rival supplier SSE’s retail arm. In a statement this morning the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the deal, which will create the UK’s second-largest energy supplier, would not harm competition. Read more: SSE sells energy services business to Ovo in [...]
What’s driving capital market developments in South Africa and Namibia? December 9, 2019 CFA Institute has examined Africa’s 10 largest capital markets in a major report compiled by Heidi Raubenheimer, CFA, our senior director for journal publications. Here we highlight key developments in different countries, starting with neighbours South Africa and Namibia. South Africa: Johannesburg Stock Exchange facing competition South Africa – the second-largest economy in Africa after Nigeria [...]
Eight things investors need to know about energy storage December 6, 2019 With renewable energy growing in importance, effective storage will be vital. And as costs continue to decline, the potential to achieve growth could be huge. Why is the roll out of energy storage so important for achieving the Paris Agreement targets? Decarbonising the electricity supply will require a huge expansion of renewables to replace thermal [...]
Stonegate takeover of pub chain Ei Group ‘may raise prices’ at local boozers December 6, 2019 A £1.3bn merger between Slug and Lettuce owner Stonegate and pub chain Ei Group may lead to higher prices in some local areas, the competition watchdog has warned. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said that the deal, which would create the country’s largest pub group, did not raise competition concerns on a UK-wide [...]
Competition watchdog intervenes in Daily Mail’s takeover of i newspaper December 6, 2019 The competition watchdog today said it has served an initial enforcement order as it reviews the Daily Mail’s £50m takeover of the i newspaper. Read more: Daily Mail owner buys i newspaper for £50m The order, also known as a hold separate arrangement, means parent company Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) will be forced [...]
Competition watchdog urged to review parcel delivery sector December 5, 2019 The UK competition watchdog has been urged to review the delivery sector after research found consumers have lost £85m due to parcel problems over the last year. According to new research, more than half – 59 per cent – of online shoppers faced issues with parcel deliveries including packages being left in insecure locations, delivery [...]
Google’s £2bn acquisition of Looker faces competition probe December 2, 2019 Google’s proposed acquisition of rival analytics firm Looker faces an investigation by the UK’s competition watchdog. Google agreed to buy Looker for $2.6bn (£2bn) in the summer as part of its efforts to expand the service’s cloud offerings. Read more: Price comparison rivals urge EU regulators to take action against Google However, the Competition and Markets [...]
Better together: How media firms are teaming up to take on tech November 30, 2019 The media industry is in flux and embattled publishers and broadcasters are banding together. But will it be enough to fend off the might of big tech? In Succession, the hit HBO show about a crumbling media dynasty, virtually every conversation is a power struggle. But for ageing patriarch Logan Roy, a thinly-veiled Rupert Murdoch, [...]
Daily Mail owner buys i newspaper for £50m November 29, 2019 The owner of the Daily Mail has snapped up the i newspaper for £49.6m, bringing to an end part of a drawn-out sales process by publishing group JPI Media. The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which also owns Metro, announced the acquisition in a short statement released today. Read more: Publishing group Reach pulls [...]