Aviva’s profit soars ahead of merger with Direct Line August 14, 2025 Aviva posted a profit jump for the first half of the year after strong growth across its wealth and insurance divisions. The company’s operating profit climbed 22 per cent to just north of £1bn – topping the £875m netted in the first half of 2024. This comes after Aviva completed its £3.7bn takeover of rival [...]
Breadmakers Hovis and Kingsmill butter up £75m merger July 26, 2025 Bread producers Hovis and Kingsmill are set for a historic merger with their owners expected to ink an agreement after months of discussion. Kingsmill, whose immediate parent Allied Bakeries is owned by London-listed Associated British Foods (ABF), and Hovis could benefit from up to £50m of annual cost savings from a merger. The proposed agreement, [...]
Apollo-backed group makes £5.7bn swoop for Pension Insurance Corporation July 4, 2025 Athora – the European insurance group backed by US private equity giant Apollo – has struck a £5.7bn takeover deal for the UK’s Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC). The acquisition will create a group with combined assets worth near £112m and covering the pensions of more than three million people across Europe. The takeover marks one [...]
Direct Line bosses out ahead of £3.7bn Aviva deal after bumper bonus revolt June 23, 2025 The chief executive and chief financial officer of Direct Line are to step down when its £3.7bn sale to Aviva is complete, it has been announced. CEO Adam Winslow and CFO Jane Poole will leave their roles when the deal is finalised next month. In a statement, the company said a leadership team for Direct [...]
Getty Images’ £3bn Shutterstock merger captures watchdog’s eye June 23, 2025 The $3.7bn (£2.9bn) merger between Getty images and Shutterstock has caught the attention of the UK’s competition watchdog. The deal, which was first announced in January, has the potential to monopolise the stock image market for creative, media and advertising industries. At the time of the announcement, Getty Images said the merger was expected to [...]
Spectris agrees to £3.8bn takeover but KKR threatens bidding war June 23, 2025 Industrial group Spectris has agreed to a £3.8bn takeover by US private equity Advent but a bidding war could be brewing as KKR mulls a rival offer. The FTSE 250 firm has been valued at £37.73 per share in the deal. Shares jumped 13.5 per cent as markets opened on Monday to around 3,726. Private [...]
Motor finance woes could make Close Brothers the next takeover target June 19, 2025 Close Brothers has fought tooth and nail in the motor finance battle but analysts have warned regulatory pressures may make the lender vulnerable to a takeover as banking juggernauts look to snap up the competition. The bank has had a bruising 12 months with its stock sinking to lows of 185p in November. Shares have [...]
Natwest rules out TSB takeover June 19, 2025 Natwest has ruled out a takeover of UK high street bank TSB. The FTSE 100 juggernaut was viewed as the “most likely acquirer” by analysts, with the firm hotly anticipated to begin a deal spree after it re-entered private ownership last month. TSB’s Spanish owners, Banco Sabadell, confirmed earlier this week that it had received [...]
Peel Hunt: UK stock market held back by ‘lack of self esteem’ June 16, 2025 The boss of City broker Peel Hunt has said London markets are being held back by a “domestic lack of self esteem”. Steven Fine, Peel Hunt’s chief executive, told City PM the UK believes it is in “a lot worse shape than the rest of the world does,” which has led to a cheapening of [...]
Bargain Britain: UK firms under siege by foreign takeovers June 12, 2025 The London Stock Exchange has suffered a bruising week as private equity firms and foreign giants continue to snap up British bargains. Markets were hit with a double blow on Wednesday after Canadian consultancy giant acquired engineering firm Ricardo and KKR returned with a final bid for GP Landlord Assura. Assura has recommended a cash [...]
