Latest News

Property analysts forecast strong spring as stamp duty deadline looms

  • January 9, 2025
Activity in the UK’s property market closely followed government policies on tax last year, something set to continue as the reality of the stamp duty deadline sinks in for first-time buyers. Real estate experts have predicted a burst of activity in early spring ahead of the end of stamp duty relief for first homes, which [...]
Continue Reading

Boots warns of higher Budget costs amid sales surge

  • January 9, 2025
High street pharmacy giant Boots has warned it faces “heightened cost pressures” in 2025 following the Autumn Budget as it revealed strong sales towards the end of last year. The new boss of the Nottingham-headquartered company, Anthony Hemmerdinger, added that while Boots has come under increased pressure, “the business is focused on navigating these and [...]
Continue Reading

M&S: City broker slashes share price target on lower profit prospects

  • January 9, 2025
Berenberg has downgraded its share price target for Marks and Spencer following lower estimates of long-term growth for the high street darling. The broker downgraded its price target from 410p to 384p, a cut of six per cent, due to a decrease in its profit estimate. “The potential for upside surprise now looks more limited [...]
Continue Reading

Cum-ex: FCA fines broker over trading violations

  • January 9, 2025
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined broker Arian Financial £288,962 over cum-ex trading violations, after it failed to ensure it had effective systems and controls against financial crime. Cum-ex trading, also known as dividend stripping, is a method of tax avoidance that allows firms to distribute profit as capital gains rather than dividends, allowing [...]
Continue Reading

The runners and riders to replace under-fire City minister Tulip Siddiq

  • January 9, 2025
Downing Street is reportedly weighing up a number of potential candidates to replace Tulip Siddiq as her position as City minister comes under increasing pressure. Siddiq, the niece of ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, has been in the headlines since last month when she was named in an investigation into whether her Bangladeshi family embezzled [...]
Continue Reading

Another private takeover: Alliance Pharma offered £350m

  • January 9, 2025
The London Stock Exchange is facing yet another private takeover, with Alliance Pharma offered £349.7m in an all-cash deal. The AIM-listed firm, which sells over-the-counter drugs in over 100 countries, has seen its board recommend the takeover unanimously by asset manager DBAY Advisors and Edmond de Rothschild’s ERES IV fund. The group’s stock price jumped [...]
Continue Reading

M&S, Greggs and Sainsbury’s shares slide on shaky outlook for UK economy

  • January 9, 2025
Marks & Spencer (M&S), Greggs, Sainsbury’s and B&M shares have all slumped today after investors took fright at warnings of a slowdown in consumer spending over the next year. Aside from Sainbury’s, whose results will be announced on Friday morning, all the firms released solid earnings updates this morning, with M&S reporting an 8.7 per [...]
Continue Reading