UK market News

UK Plc Attracts Wave of Takeover Offers From Foreign Suitors

The UK has become a hotbed for mergers and acquisitions this year as dealmakers hunt for bargains in the country’s underperforming stock market. Direct Line Insurance Group Plc and electronics retailer Currys Plc both rejected bids from overseas buyers this …

Southern Water Fined for Sewage Spill That Killed 2,000 Fish in England

Southern Water was fined £330,000 on Tuesday after admitting a raw sewage spill that killed thousands of fish on the edge of England’s South Downs National Park. Southern, which supplies more than 4.6 million people in England, acknowledged that sewage …

UK Has More ‘Fragile Firms’ Than EU Peers: Allianz Report

The UK has the highest proportion of “fragile firms” out of all major European economies, another sign of the headwinds facing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he attempts to boost growth. About 15% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the …

Banks, Insurers Ordered to Report Sexism and Bullying Cases in Britain

Britain’s markets watchdog has ordered more than 1,000 banks, insurers and brokerages to report how many sexual harassment, discrimination and other non-financial misconduct cases they have recorded since 2021 and how they have dealt with them. The Financial Conduct Authority …

Brexit Red Tape Puts Valentine’s Day Thorn in UK Flower Trade

Giraffe Flowers in Manchester, northern England, is preparing for the annual Valentine’s Day rush but florists fear that Brexit trade barriers will increasingly spell higher costs and delays for their business. The company operates two shops in the center of …

Some Insurers Suspend Sales of Car Policies After UK Watchdog Again Intervenes

Britain’s financial watchdog said on Friday several insurers have agreed to suspend sales of policies that cover the depreciation of cars after it said it was worried the deals did not offer value for money. The suspension relates to so-called …

Britain’s Financial Regulators Need ‘Ambitious Mindset’, Carnegie-Brown Says

British regulators need an “ambitious growth mindset” to implement post-Brexit financial sector reforms faster and stop business going elsewhere, an industry body said on Thursday. Britain’s “Edinburgh Reforms” – proposed by finance minister Jeremy Hunt over a year ago – …

What Would UK Labour Party’s Finance Sector Plan Mean for City of London?

Britain’s opposition Labour Party, tipped in the polls to win an election expected this year, set out its blueprint on Tuesday to “unashamedly champion” a financial sector worried about its global competitiveness following Brexit as top rival New York lures …

Electric Vehicles Cost Twice as Much to Insure as Fuel-Burning Cars in UK

British drivers have to fork out twice as much to insure electric vehicles as they do for combustion-engine models, adding to hurdles to make the switch to zero-emission cars. The average insurance premium for EVs jumped to £1,344 ($1,700) at …

Brexit Has Cost UK More Than $178 Billion so far: London Mayor

Britain’s departure from the European Union has reduced the size of its economy by 6% so far – an annual cost of 140 billion pounds ($178 billion) – London mayor Sadiq Khan said on Thursday, with the shortfall seen reaching …