Companies

Business

Companies, deals, leadership and strategy across European business.

Markets Banking Technology Property Fintech

Apollo snaps up Easyjet after Castlelake walks away

Aviation

Easyjet has agreed a £5.7bn takeover deal with Apollo after rival bidder Castlelake pulled out of the bidding process. In a joint announcement with the low-cost airline on Thursday, the American private markets juggernaut said it had “reached an agreement on the terms and conditions of a recommended cash acquisition”. The offer has the backing [...]
Citi chief’s cowed Trump comments reveal corporate America’s tightrope

Banking

Citi has become a favourite of President Trump during his second term. Chief executive Dame Jane Fraser’s comments in London yesterday may show why, writes Charlie Conchie I sat across the table from Citi’s boss Dame Jane Fraser yesterday as she delivered a blistering warning to Andy Burnham and the new Labour government. For an [...]
How sevens and Olympics can be commercial rugby lifeline

Sport Business

Dan James argues that rugby sevens is a developmental step for some of the best players, and that can be a boon for a struggling sport. The rugby rumour mill has been turning again, as reports have circulated over the last fortnight that some of England’s young stars – Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, [...]

Market BriefingAs of 23:30 BST

European markets at a glance

FTSE 10010,867.89-0.19%

DAX26,140.13+0.05%

CAC 408,699.71+0.35%

STOXX 506,502.56+0.39%

Full market coverage →

Competition watchdog clears Paramount Warner Bros acquisition

August 6, 2026

The UK competition watchdog has cleared the merger of Hollywood heavyweights Paramount and Warner Bros after concluding it does not pose an issue to competitiveness in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed it would not investigate the matter further on Wednesday, as it did not “give rise to a realistic prospect of [...]
UK debt ‘hits £3 trillion’ milestone

August 6, 2026

The size of the UK’s national debt has now risen above £3 trillion, analysis has suggested, reflecting the burden facing taxpayers across the country. A tracker by a rightwing campaign group and think tank has suggested that national debt had reached the long-awaited milestone after an explosion in spending since 2020. The Taxpayers’ Alliance based [...]
Hiscox finance chief: London’s AI adoption is too slow

August 6, 2026

Hiscox group chief financial officer Paul Cooper takes us through his career in insurance in this week's Square Mile and Me.
Row erupts over Tory plan to stop Soho pub goers standing up

August 6, 2026

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has slammed a plan backed by a Tory council to stop pub goers in Soho from drinking while standing up. Westminster Council, the now-Conservative-run local authority that covers London’s most popular drinking spots, has set out its ambition to radically limit “vertical drinking” or ordering drinks at the bar under a [...]
‘Hard work ahead’: Diageo shares soar as Drastic Dave’s cost savings lift investor spirits

August 6, 2026

Diageo shares jumped as much as eight per cent on Thursday after the London drinks giant vowed to deliver as much as $850m (£631m) in cost savings, as new boss Dave Lewis vowed to turn around the firm’s fortunes. The FTSE 100 owner of Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray reported a three per cent dip [...]
Serco chief hits back at New Statesman’s outsourcing jibes

August 6, 2026

Serco’s boss has hit back at media criticism in the New Statesman and other outlets as the under-scrutiny firm boosted its sales and eyed more contract wins. The London-listed firm, which is one of Britain’s largest outsourcing companies running everything from bin collections to asylum accommodation, said it remained committed to bidding for contracts in [...]
Liverpool owners tipped to sell – but not to Amazon boss Bezos – by former CEO

August 6, 2026

Liverpool FC’s former CEO Peter Moore believes the club’s owners may be preparing to sell up but has poured cold water on talk of Jeff Bezos buying into the Reds. Fenway Sports Group is in talks to sell a minority stake to former QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia – a process some reports have suggested could [...]