Unite student housing suffers slump in property value as rents fall October 8, 2026 Student accommodation giant Unite has suffered another drop in property values as higher interest rates and weaker rental income continue to weigh on the FTSE 250 landlord. The company said on Thursday that the value of its UK Student Accommodation Fund fell four per cent in the third quarter to £2.8bn, while its London-focused joint [...]
‘Sick at the desk’ workforce crisis costs UK economy billions every year October 8, 2026 Britain’s workforce health crisis isn’t happening on sick leave; it’s happening at the desk, as employees are working through illness and stress. Poor workforce health is estimated to cost the UK economy £241bn in lost productivity annually, according to claims in a new report by healthcare insurer Vitality, with mental ill-health being the single largest [...]
Employers yearn for growth as jobs market stages ‘fragile recovery’ October 8, 2026 The UK jobs market is beginning to “flicker back to life,” a new report has said, after permanent and temporary placings inched up in the last month. The latest jobs report from KPMG and recruiter REC showed permanent hiring grew for the second consecutive month to a four-year high of 50.9. Meanwhile, temporary billings also [...]
Retailers demand energy bill cuts as costs rise by £440m October 8, 2026 Retailers have urged John Healey to slash green policy costs from energy bills, warning that their electricity costs are set to soar by £440m this year. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) – which represents top retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer – has warned that rising “policy costs” on energy bills will inevitably [...]
KBRA Releases Opal Group European CLO Summit Recap October 7, 2026 KBRA releases its recap of Opal Group’s European CLO Summit, held at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on 6 October 2026. The conference brought together collateralised loan obligation (CLO) market participants who discussed the strong European issuance and investor demand, alongside tighter transaction economics, limited primary loan supply, and increasing credit dispersion. Panellists generally [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Merrion Square Residential 2026-1 DAC October 7, 2026 KBRA Europe (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to seven classes of notes to be issued by Merrion Square Residential 2026-1 DAC, a static RMBS securitisation collateralised by predominantly first lien, reperforming mortgage loans. As of 30 June 2026, the underlying collateral comprises a €635.2 million portfolio of secured mortgage loans. These mortgages are largely secured by [...]
Morningstar Launches Direct AI, an Agentic Platform Built on Independent Insights October 7, 2026 The transformed Morningstar Direct experience includes an all-new interface and purpose-built agents that are designed to help clients answer complex, high-value questions and reach decisions with greater clarity and confidence.
One year to T+1: How should firms get ready for October 2027? October 7, 2026 With just a year to go before the final T+1 deadline, Andrew Douglas lays out what UK firms must accomplish to smoothly transition.
Former Whitbread bosses mastermind takeover of Beefeater restaurants October 7, 2026 Former senior managers at Whitbread have advised on a deal to buy back nearly 60 restaurants from the group, after it wound up its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains last month. Common Table Group, a British hospitality firm, has agreed to buy 57 restaurant sites and one Premier Inn hotel from the FTSE 100 hotels [...]
Stages of tax grief: Is it time for bankers to bargain? October 7, 2026 Banks are in the firing line at the Budget and in a meeting with bosses on Tuesday chancellor John Healey played coy on any increased rates. In this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what trade-off could be made. Also on the cards, fresh data shows fintechs are lurching ahead of the incumbents on customer [...]