Analysts ‘sceptical’ about Flutter’s £2bn bid for Playtech’s Italian arm August 19, 2024 Flutter Entertainment’s potential £2bn swoop on Italian betting firm Snaitech, the consumer division of ‘white label’ gambling technology provider Playtech, has left some analysts unconvinced. Playtech has granted a period of exclusivity for Flutter to complete due diligence, although the Paddy Power and Betfair owner said at this stage there is “no certainty” that it [...]
Second top-flight British basketball team bought by new investors August 19, 2024 The Manchester franchise set to play in Britain’s new Super League Basketball has been bought by the US-based Sherwood Family Investment Office. The group is run by private equity veteran Ned Sherwood and Ben Pierson and will own both the men’s and women’s teams competing in their respective leagues. It comes just days after a [...]
‘Even luxury is subject to constraints’: Global prime rental growth slows August 19, 2024 After record growth in the past two years, global prime rents have cooled down to long-term levels as supply constraints start to ease and renters hit their price ceilings, according to new data. Average annual rental growth was 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to the end of June 2024, down from 7.4 per [...]
Huge winter TV reveal as Michaela Coel announces I May Destroy You follow up for BBC August 19, 2024 First Day on Earth will be programmed on the BBC I May Destroy You was an era defining lockdown drama alongside Sally Rooney’s Normal People, and four years on, writer Michaela Coel has revealed details of her new BBC show. It had been rumoured Coel, one of Britain’s most celebrated Black writer-performers, was putting together [...]
How to end the American choke-hold on British tech? Stop ‘acting like an incubator’ August 19, 2024 As tech companies flee London in droves, serial entrepreneur William Reeve—whose leadership credits include Lovefilm, a trailblazer in online movie streaming, and Zoopla, a leading real estate portal —has warned the City risks becoming nothing more than an incubator for the US unless it can shift its focus beyond short-term profit. Since 2019, at least [...]
Quantexa: AI start-up boss on business after hitting Unicorn status August 19, 2024 When artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Quantexa hit unicorn status, the London-based company said it was a chance to embark on a major growth push. In April 2023, Quantexa was minted a billion dollar ‘unicorn’ after closing a $129m (£99.4m) funding round at a valuation of $1.8bn (£1.4bn). Quantexa, which uses AI to analyse financial firms’ [...]
Please stop saying the UK summer is over. It makes no sense August 19, 2024 On 12 August, when the UK summer was giving us a balmy 22 degree day, Barack Obama said that summer was “winding down.” It’s been a common pronouncement on social media throughout August that inevitably makes you feel melancholic. But more importantly, it’s also wrong. The UK Summer isn’t over, it’s defiantly striding on. Here’s [...]
Flagstone doubles assets under administration as UK savers chase better rates August 19, 2024 Flagstone has more than doubled its assets under administration in 18 months as the fintech savings platform cashes in on UK savers chasing better interest rates.
Why Lord’s Cricket Ground and Wembley Stadium are the best areas for buy-to-let in London August 19, 2024 Buy-to-lets in London are, famously, quite a good idea – if you have the money to spend on them. But rental yields – defined as the return on your investment after accounting for costs like mortgages and taxes – have been hammered by high interest rates lately, making it crucial to buy in the right [...]
FTSE 250 giant JTC snaps up employer services firm in latest takeover deal August 19, 2024 FTSE 250 corporate solutions firm JTC has struck a deal to expand its employer services division with a new acquisition – the latest in a string of recent takeovers. The London-listed firm, headquartered in Jersey, revealed plans today to acquire the Buck UK and European Share Plan Administration and Trustee Businesses from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co [...]