UK holidaymakers paid ‘more than £1bn’ on travel tests this summer September 9, 2021 UK holidaymakers could have paid more than £1bn for Covid tests this summer, a crippling levy that has kept the lid on the travel and aviation sector’s recovery. Research from the Evening Standard suggests that 5m passengers have taken a total of 11.5m PCR tests in the period from May to September. With each test [...]
Competition watchdog refers O2-Virgin merger for in-depth investigation December 11, 2020 The UK competition regulator has referred the £31bn O2-Virgin merger for in-depth investigation. Liberty Global and Telefonica, the respective owners of Virgin Media and O2, struck a deal to merge their UK operations back in May. Last month the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched its phase one investigation into the mega-merger, arguing the potential [...]
Let’s talk Aviva: Smaller but richer insurance firm is looking to grow again September 29, 2021 It has been an interesting couple of months for insurance firm Aviva. The City giant sacked its fund manager and was dragged into a leasehold agreement affair it had hoped to avoid. Nevertheless, following a year of cutting costs and selling foreign assets, Aviva feels confident about the future. The company is firmly on investors’ [...]
Boris Johnson to force all new UK buildings to install EV charging points November 21, 2021 Owners of newly built homes and commercial buildings will be forced to install electric vehicle charging points from next year under new regulations to be announced by Boris Johnson tomorrow. The new regulations, which Downing Street says will lead to 145,000 extra charge points installed across England each year, will also extend to properties “undergoing [...]
Nvidia to put $100m into Cambridge supercomputer amid Arm probe June 17, 2021 Nvidia’s chief executive today said the company will spend at least $100m on a supercomputer in Cambridge as it seeks to demonstrate its commitment to the UK. The US tech firm is in the process of buying UK chipmaker Arm for $40bn, but regulators are currently examining the deal. Both the Competition and Markets Authority [...]
JD Sports’ merger with Footasylum edges nearer after appeal November 13, 2020 The competition watchdog’s decision to block a merger between JD Sports and Footasylum has been overturned following an appeal. The Competition Appeals Tribunal said today that the Competition and Markets Authority had acted “irrationally” when it ruled in May that the tie-up would lead to a “substantially” lessening of competition nationally. The tribunal ruled that [...]
JD Sports expects to beat profit expectations following Black Friday and Christmas sales January 12, 2022 JD Sports expects full-year profits to beat expectations following improved trading performance over Black Friday and Christmas.
Mobile rivals raise competition concerns over £31bn O2-Virgin merger January 3, 2021 Rivals have hit out at the planned £31bn mega-merger between O2 and Virgin Media, warning the deal could harm competition in the UK telecoms market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last month referred the tie-up for an in-depth investigation after the two companies asked the regulator to fast-track its probe. In the full text [...]
Compare the Market handed £17.9m fine by competition regulator November 19, 2020 Price comparison website Compare the Market has been stung with a £17.9m fine from the regulator after breaching competition law. An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded that the website had prevented home insurers from listing lower prices on rival comparison sites between December 2015 and December 2017. Compare the Market had [...]
New data reveals the top 10 dealmakers of 2021 February 6, 2022 New data, shared with City A.M. has revealed the UK’s top dealmakers of 2021. The figures come on the back of a record year for mergers & acquisitions, which saw the completion of more than $5 trillion worth of deals. JP Morgan’s James Robinson ranked as the UK’s top investment banker, after topping MergerLink’s charts [...]