Vodafone and Three: What £16.5bn merger actually means for customers and prices telecoms After an almost 18-month battle the UK’s largest ever telecoms deal – which will see Vodafone and Three complete a £16.5bn merger – has been given the green light. Described by Vodafone as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure”, the deal has now satisfied the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enough for [...]
Why UK petrol and diesel prices are still sky high despite recent fall Transport and infrastructure The price of petrol and diesel in the UK fell between June and October 2024 but the margin retailers are making from each visit to the pump has surged. According to new figures from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fuel prices decreased in the period because, in part, of the changing crude oil prices [...]
Spreadex ordered to sell Sporting Index after ‘creating monopoly’ Business Spreadex has been ordered to sell Sporting Index after it was ruled that the acquisition had created a monopoly. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told Spreadex to dispose of the ‘business-to-consumer’ firm after it snapped it up from Sporting Group last year. Spreadex and Sporting Index both provide sports fixed odds betting and sports [...]
Higher prices warning issued over Wincanton takeover as GXO handed ultimatum November 1, 2024 The £762m takeover of Wincanton by GXO could lead to higher prices for business customers in the UK, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The watchdog has issued its initial findings on the deal which saw the Wiltshire-based business taken over by logistics giant GXO and delist from the London Stock Exchange earlier [...]
Leading with insight: Geradin Partners corners trend in competition law October 7, 2024 When trying to "shake things up" in the competition legal market, who better than someone who spent over seven years as a legal director for the regulator
Barratt Redrow merger given greenlight by competition watchdog October 4, 2024 The competition watchdog has given its final clearance for the merger of housebuilders Barratt and Redrow. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the proposed £2.5bn deal in June after it was first announced in February. The deal was completed in August without regulatory approval after the CMA suggested there were reasonable grounds to believe [...]
Price rises and smaller data packages: Regulator voices concerns over Vodafone’s £15bn Three merger September 13, 2024 The planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could lead to price increases for tens of millions of mobile customers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The watchdog added that the deal, which was first announced last year, could also see customers get a reduced service such as smaller data packages in their [...]
Google accused of using its dominance to harm the competition September 6, 2024 Google has been accused of using “anti-competitive practices” which harm thousands of publishers and advertisers in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it has provisionally found that the US giant could be negatively impacting rivals over open-display advert technology. According to its findings, the watchdog said that when placing digital adverts on [...]
Nationwide to complete £2.9bn takeover of Virgin Money after FCA and PRA approval September 6, 2024 Nationwide is to complete its £2.9bn takeover of rival Virgin Money next month after the deal was given the green light by the UK’s financial regulators. The banks said in statement issued to the London Stock Exchange that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have both approved [...]
CMA clears Microsoft and Inflection AI partnership after merger ruling September 4, 2024 Britain’s competition regulator has today cleared Microsoft’s arrangements with Inflection AI, which included a licensing deal and the hiring of former Inflection employees. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced in April it was looking at three separate deals that potentially fall under UK merger law and, if so, whether they could have a harmful [...]