Analysts see ‘path to approval’ for Vodafone and Three deal September 13, 2024 Although Britain’s competition watchdog has raised fresh concerns over the proposed £15bn tie-up between Vodafone and Three’s UK operations, analysts have suggested the findings of the latest probe are more positive than expected. In its provisional findings, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) flagged potential price increases for millions of mobile customers and warned of [...]
Price rises and smaller data packages: Regulator voices concerns over Vodafone’s £15bn Three merger September 13, 2024 The planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could lead to price increases for tens of millions of mobile customers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The watchdog added that the deal, which was first announced last year, could also see customers get a reduced service such as smaller data packages in their [...]
Seedrs: Fewer deals and lower investment hits revenue at crowdfunding platform ahead of Republic Europe name change September 12, 2024 Seedrs suffered a 10 per cent cut in its revenue after fewer deals and less investment were made through its crowdfunding platform in 2023. The business has reported a revenue of £6.1m for the 12 months, down from the £6.8m it posted in 2022. The London-headquartered company provides an online platform for investing in early [...]
Finance rocks in Rio: The rise of Open Banking in Latin America September 12, 2024 One of the UK’s hallmarks in global exports is its expertise and pioneering role in the Open Finance sector. Across the Atlantic, Latin America — a long-standing trade partner — has recently become a fertile ground for Open Finance, with new regulations advancing across at least five key countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. [...]
Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ price? Definitely, maybe… September 11, 2024 Oasis tickets have stirred controversy, but the question of how prices are set in a market goes all the way back to Alfred Marshall and Francis Edgeworth, says Paul Ormerod The pricing of tickets for the forthcoming Oasis tour has stirred up a major controversy. This is not just on social media. Lisa Nandy, the [...]
Publishers rally as Google advertising antitrust trial restarts in US September 9, 2024 One month after a US court ruled that Google illegally maintained its monopoly on internet search, the tech giant is back in the dock. This time, Google’s lucrative online advertising business, which last year raked in nearly $240bn (£183bn), is under fire, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and 17 states accusing its parent company, Alphabet, of monopolising digital [...]
Google accused of using its dominance to harm the competition September 6, 2024 Google has been accused of using “anti-competitive practices” which harm thousands of publishers and advertisers in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it has provisionally found that the US giant could be negatively impacting rivals over open-display advert technology. According to its findings, the watchdog said that when placing digital adverts on [...]
Nationwide to complete £2.9bn takeover of Virgin Money after FCA and PRA approval September 6, 2024 Nationwide is to complete its £2.9bn takeover of rival Virgin Money next month after the deal was given the green light by the UK’s financial regulators. The banks said in statement issued to the London Stock Exchange that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have both approved [...]
Competition watchdog to probe Ticketmaster’s ‘dynamic pricing’ for Oasis tickets September 5, 2024 The UK's competition watchdog has launched a probe into Ticketmaster's sale of Oasis concert tickets, including the platform's use of so-called "dynamic pricing".
Cutting bank transfer fraud refund limit not enough, industry warns regulator September 4, 2024 The UK’s payments regulator is under pressure to U-turn on a controversial fraud reimbursement scheme after confirming it would look at scaling back the measures.