London IPO activity off to a flying start with busiest January since 2006 February 3, 2021 London markets shook off the January blues with a rush of IPOs, a trend that is set to continue through the year. Building on the momentum seen towards the end of last year, it was the busiest January for the City since 2006. It raised $2.2bn from four listings, including Moonpig and Dr Martens, according [...]
The brands that won Euro 2020, from Volkswagen’s tiny ball-carrying car to Bud Light ‘box heads’ and ITV super-pundit Emma Hayes July 12, 2021 Italy were deserved winners of Euro 2020, which will be remembered as one of the best football tournaments all of time. Off the field brands have had their own competition for the hearts and wallets of consumers. Here are my thoughts on who emerged as the winners. EE EE is a long-standing sponsor of the [...]
Wise valued at £8bn in London’s biggest ever tech float July 7, 2021 Wise, one of Britain’s biggest fintech firms, has seen its valuation hit £8bn after listing on the London Exchange this morning, marking a major boost for the capital’s tech scene. Shares in the payments group, formerly known as Transferwise, began trading at £8 each in its eagerly-awaited stock market float. It follows an auction process [...]
Just Eat posts revenue surge of 52 per cent but struggles to turn a profit in fight for market share August 17, 2021 Strong demand for food delivery amid the last of the Covid restrictions persisted in the first half of the year and boosted Just Eat Takeaway’s revenue, but efforts to increase its share of the crowded market impacted profitability. Revenue in the first six months of the year grew to €2.6 bn (£2.2bn) – a 52 [...]
JP Morgan to launch UK digital bank within months January 27, 2021 JP Morgan will launch a digital consumer bank in the UK within months, the Wall Street giant confirmed today. The new challenger bank will operate under the Chase brand and offer a range of products, including current accounts. JP Morgan said its new business, which is based in Canary Wharf, had already hired 400 people [...]
London Stock Exchange shares tumble on Refinitiv merger costs March 5, 2021 Shares in the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) tumbled today after the company revealed its $27bn mega-merger with Refinitiv will cost more than expected and lead to job cuts. The stock market operator said it expected capital expenditure to hit £850m this year, with £150m of associated operating costs. This marked an increase in the [...]
Hygiene surge boosts ratcatchers Rentokil March 4, 2021 Rentokil said that it had boosted profit 5.4 per cent across the full year thanks to huge growth in its hygiene business amid the coronavirus pandemic. Across the year, ongoing operating profit rose to £383.8m, up from £365.5m the year before. Revenue also increased 5.0 per cent to £2.8bn. Despite the impressive performance, shares in [...]
Exclusive: City fund manager calls for reforms as UK first-time funding is down by a third from 2018 peak July 20, 2021 The number of first-time funding rounds into UK seed-stage startups declined for a second consecutive year in 2020, to 36 per cent below the 2018 peak for such deals, according to new research shared with City A.M. this afternoon. The data provided by Square Mile based SFC Capital also points to reductions both to the [...]
What’s next for food delivery following the junk food ad ban? October 5, 2021 It’s been a confusing 12 months for UK food advertisers. First, there was the proposed ban on junk food TV advertising before the 9pm watershed. Then there was the announcement of more sweeping measures to obliterate online junk food advertising in the UK. Just a few months later, relief swept the food and drink industry [...]
Dr Martens valued at more than £3.7bn in London IPO January 29, 2021 British bootmaker Dr Martens started its London IPO in style on Friday, attracting bumper demand in a sale valuing the company at £3.7bn. Dr Martens’ shares were up 19 per cent in their market debut after the company priced the deal at 370p a share, raising nearly £1.3bn. Known for its chunky boots, Dr Martens [...]