Plus500 boss: Scrapping shares tax would boost market efficiency October 20, 2025 Scrapping stamp duty on shares would help improve market efficiency and bolster the health of London’s capital markets, the boss of Plus500 has said after a jump in customers’ deposit sizes helped the trading platform beat analyst expectations. David Zruia told City AM that trading volumes would invariably go up if the Chancellor heeded growing [...]
BGF: Investment giant eyeing up £500m in first external fundraise October 20, 2025 Investment giant BGF has revealed plans to raise external funds for the first time to tune of £500m. The organisation said the move would enable institutional investors the opportunity to invest in UK growth companies through BGF’s regional platform. Lazard has been appointed to advise BGF as it explores its options. BGF’s portfolio includes the likes of [...]
Macdonald Hotels counts cost of huge legal bill after High Court loss October 20, 2025 Luxury chain Macdonald Hotels slumped into the red before being order to pay a huge legal bill after losing a case to the Bank of Scotland. Macdonald Hotels sued the Scottish subsidiary of Lloyds Bank claiming it was “seriously wronged’ by the lender which resulted in it losing out on millions of pounds. Chairman and [...]
B&M shares tumble as CFO quits after huge accounting blunder October 20, 2025 Shares in B&M have tumbled as the firm’s finance officer has quit following an accounting blunder that led to the company overstating its profits. The FTSE 250 retailer said it had failed to recognise as much as £7m in overseas freight costs, which disappeared from its forecasts “following an operating system update.” As a result, [...]
Prize draw operator Winvia plots London float October 20, 2025 The London listings revival is gathering pace as prize draw operator Winvia today confirmed plans for an initial public offering (IPO) in the capital. The Omaze rival is set to list on London’s junior AIM market, seeking to raise around £40m from the sale of new shares at an expected valuation of around £200m. Winvia [...]
L&G: FTSE 100 giant reveals £2bn plan to create 24,000 jobs October 20, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Legal & General (L&G) has revealed plans to invest £2bn in regeneration projects across the UK in a move which it said will create around 24,000 jobs. The group said it would invest into ‘productive assets’ such as infrastructure, affordable housing and urban regeneration between now and 2030. L&G added that it [...]
Betfred founder: Tax rises are “biggest threat” to the industry October 19, 2025 Betfred shops could vanish from UK high streets if Chancellor Rachel Reeves carries out a potential tax raid in the November budget, the company’s co-founder and chairman has warned. Fred Done, who founded the business in 1967 with his brother, hailed tax rises as the “biggest threat” to the industry he has seen in his [...]
Conservatives will attempt to block Chagos deal over China spying fears October 18, 2025 Conservative MPs will launch a last-ditch attempt to block the Chagos Islands deal next week due to fears it will be used by China to spy on the UK. First reported in the Telegraph, the Tories plan to force a vote in Parliament over whether to effectively end the deal by holding up payments to [...]
Hunt some value in the Balmoral with Witch and Oliver October 17, 2025 Ascot’s Champions Day card closes with the Balmoral Handicap (4.40pm). Native Warrior heads the betting, and while he’s bidding to land an Ascot hat-trick, I’m reminded that shorter-priced horses don’t have the best record. The Balmoral has, in fact, been a bookies’ benefit recently, with big-priced winners in the last three years. Punters shouldn’t be [...]
‘Capital is at risk’: The phrase that spooked too many Brits out of investing October 17, 2025 Yes, capital is at risk – but so is opportunity if UK capital remains idle, unproductive and disconnected from national growth.